Queen of the Slopes
by ACEo'SPADES
Summary: She was the Queen of the Slopes; nothing could stop her. But one upstaged race will make her entire world go upside-down, and getting even may not turn out quite the way she planned. AU Multi-chapter fic. Based off "Waterbending Scroll", Epi 109. Kataang.
1. Prologue

**Queen of the Slopes  
Prologue**

* * *

_Some people settle for the typical things,  
Living all their lives waiting in the wings  
It ain't a question of "if", just a matter of time  
Before I move to the front of the line  
And once you're watching every move that I make  
You gotta believe that I got what it takes  
_  
~Tevin Campbell, "Stand Out"  
***

She was Queen of the Slopes.

A single snowboarder looked down the hill—one of the most challenging and crooked courses on the mountain. Placing her goggles over her eyes as she finished surveying the area, the blue-suited girl flipped sideways on her board and started down the hill.

With an incredible ease she skimmed the surface of the snow, leaving only a small, thin trail in her wake. Gaining speed with every crisp turn, the plummeting drop came ever-closer. It wasn't part of the course; today, she was making her own course. Skipping through all of the closely-knit trees, just to prove she could, the snow boarder readied herself for the drop.

She burst out of the forest area and instantly went over the cliff.

It seemed to her as though the world had paused in thin air; she grabbed the edge of her board and spun one, two, three, four times. A 1440 degree. Righting herself, she instantly slammed into the white-covered earth, and was struck by reality and a spray of powdered snow. Sliding down the rest of the way with smooth ability, the girl was followed by a wave of powdered snow that marked her trail. She went off of a few other small jumps before coming to the bottom of the hill, where her brother was holding a video recorder.

Taking off her ski-goggles to reveal two blue eyes, she asked, "Did you get that, Sokka?"

The boy named Sokka grinned. "Two words: Heck Yea."

Rolling her eyes as she smiled, the girl sat down to unlatch her feet from the board. Turning around, she looked back up at the sheer cliff and grinned again. She had pulled it off. Better—she did it with style.

"Come on Katara, lets go home." Her brother said, and taking off her snowboard, she slung it under her right arm as they walked back to the old blue truck.

She was Queen of the Slopes, and nothing was going to stop her.


	2. New Kid

So, this is my first AU, so i don't know exactly how this is gonna play out. cut me some slack? Plz?  
Based off of "The Waterbending Scroll" episode plot.  
Inspired by: Avatar, specifically Episode 109.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar

**

* * *

**

**Queen of the Slopes  
****Chapter One:  
****New Kid**

"Toph!"

The junior called out her best friend's name down the main locker-hall of their small-town highschool. Currently, said friend was peering into her locker. She didn't look up when Katara called out, so Katara decided to come to her instead, shoes pattering and echoing down the hallway.

"Did you hear? Toph, I did it! Azula bet that I couldn't do that kind of flip, but I did! Haven't you heard? Sokka's put it on Youtube, and—"

"Wow, Katara! Could you get any more obnoxious?"

This shut up Katara rather effectively.

"Wait, don't answer that, yes you can. Your brother Sokka..."Toph poked her head out from behind her locker door and finally turned to face Katara, looking very seriously up (Toph was two grades and a full head shorter than Katara) at her. "Don't turn into _him_."

It was rather like being told "Don't do drugs." Katara didn't know exactly how to respond to that.

Toph smirked. "Sheesh, Sweetness, I'm only kidding!"

"Oh." Was Katara's only reply, until, "...So you did hear?"

Her freshman friend rolled her eyes and turned back to the insides of her (severely-tagged) locker. "Duh. How could I not? Everyone's been going on about it." Katara didn't see her face, but she could tell that Toph was smirking. "Smooth, by the way." Her first compliment today.

"Thanks Toph."

"Yeah, yeah, sure."

The warning bell rang. The one that was downright annoyingly loud.

"Guess I'd better get to class then." Katara said.

"Alright, little Miss A-plus-plus-plus-plus..."

Katara pretended not to hear as she headed down to room 201.

* * *

All through first and second periods, Katara got compliments via text-messaging. A few that stood out were:

"Alright Katara!"

"Way to go!!! I saw your vid, it was sweet!!!"

"Katara 10 gajillion guys asked me for your number so I ended up punching half of them in the face. Get ready to pay big bucks for their plastic surgery."

"OMG Katara! You were awesome!"

"Katara, you had better not be getting any texts from guys. I swear I'll kill them."

"You S.O.B. that was fake."

The last [edited] one was from Azula.

So all-in-all, it was a rather perfect morning for her. That is, until lunch period came.

Standing in the lunch line, Katara couldn't help but listen in on two girl's conversation...It was hard not to; there were only a few people seperating Katara from them, and they certainly weren't trying to hold back their rather interesting talk:

"...So what'd you hear about the new kid?"

"—Oh, he is _cute_!"

"—How would you know?"

"—Smart one, I'm Teacher's Aid for first period! So I was filing all the new records for transfer students for next semester, and I saw this!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Katara barely saw one girl flip out a piece of paper. It undoubtedly had a picture on it.

"...He's _mine_!"

"—And he's athletic...I hear he snowboards!"

This made Katara lean in a little more as she grabbed some grilled cheese and tomato soup from the line and placed it onto her dull tan plastic tray.

"—Yeah, I heard he's even better than Katara."

"Really?"

"Sweet, he can teach me..." Said one girl in a flirtatious tone of voice. It was then that Katara left the lunch line. The girls didn't seem to notice.

Katara sat down at her usual lunch-table, the one she sat with Toph and Suki. Or that's the way it used to be: since Suki had developed a thing for her brother, she had sat with Sokka more and more often. So that left Toph and Katara—the two most unlikely friends, perhaps only rivaled by Azula and Ty Lee. Katara looked around at the cafeteria boringly as she slurped her tomato soup. It wasn't very tomato-y. She bit into her grilled cheese; it didn't taste like much, except maybe a bit rubbery. She poked it idly with her spoon.

Stupid cafeteria food.

Toph came up to the table, carrying her usual huge load of sweets-for-lunch meal, except for a hunk of last-night's steak on the edge of the platter. For once, Katara figured that Toph had the right mind set: skip school lunches, bring leftovers and go buy sweets. If only she had as much money as her rich friend...

As per usual, Toph friend plopped herself down, gave a casual, "Hey Sugar Queen," in Katara's general direction, and stabbed a fork into her steak, which was completely slathered in salt, pepper, and barbecue sauce. Katara might've jumped back in surprise if she hadn't already seen it all before. Toph wasted no time in beginning to devour her steak, and was near half-way through it before she noticed something was off with her friend.

Some BBQ on the edges of lips, Toph licked off the traces, saying, "What's up, Sweetness? You're usually talking nonstop at this point."

Katara merely pushed her plate farther away.

"That time of the month?" Toph asked, to which Katara replied with a wide-eyed stare.

"_That's_ what you think this is about?!"

She threw her hands up in the air. "Hey, just guessing here."

"You are so sick-minded. And _no_, I'm _not_."

"Sure sounds like it to me..."

Katara sighed in frustration. She had been on Cloud Nine until now. How had that even happened? Morning was great and noon was suckish. Was she really this annoyed by some guy? She could probably beat him, no problem. She beat everyone at snowboarding; it was _Katara's_ thing, and she made sure everyone knew it. She proved it regularly; it just might get her somewhere in life with what little money her family had. The prospect of going to ROTC to pay for college wasn't as exciting to Katara as it was to her brother Sokka.

Toph's next comment didn't improve her mood: "So did you hear about that new kid, the transfer?"

Facing the younger girl, Katara's eyes narrowed down at her, but Toph just stared right back.

"Yes, I have." Katara replied.

Toph waved it off, saying: "Eh, you'll beat him anyhow. Don't get so worked up over it, Sugar Queen. You'll make people think that you _are _PMS-ing."

Figuring there was some truth to that statement, Katara took a slow, steady breath. "So you've heard about him."

"Small-town highschool, remember?" Toph reminded her, gesturing around the cafeteria with her fork and spattering dribbles of sauce on the table. "Prob'ly everyone knows by now."

"Is our school_ really_ that nosy?"

Toph smirked. "I wouldn't be talking if I were you."

"I am not nosy!" Katara said, gritting her teeth.

"Uh-huh." Toph said slowly, still chewing. "And you heard that he's won quite a few medals while traveling 'round."

"Where'd you hear that?" Katara asked, a little too eagerly.

That Oh-So-Smug look appeared on Toph's face before she continued: "He's real good. Got some records in the high-schools and middle-schools. He's moved around a lot, apparently. Too bad. If he's anything as good as they say he is, then he'll beat you and you won't be able to pay him back."

Katara folded her arms and leaned back in her chair. "That was a bit uncalled for..."

"Wow, why all the proper English all of a sudden? Where's the Katara with that farmer accent?"

"Shut up, that was in grade school, and it wasn't _that_ bad."

Toph snorted. "You should've heard yourself. You might as well have been the local hillbilly to my parents."

Memories came flooding back to Katara of her parent's meeting the Bei Fong's. It had been quite an interesting visit; the ones that could've been genuine Silver-Screen moments. Suffice to say, the Bei Fong's were _not _impressed, and were more-than-pleased to get them out of their rich, mansion-like house. Most of all, they were appalled when Toph started hanging out with Katara and the Kuruk family, all against their wishes.

"Sokka was worse than me, anyways."Katara shot back.

"Riiight." Toph said, unconvinced. "So this hot-shot is coming into town next week. And he's the _only _reason why you're all messed up?"

Katara sighed."I am not messed up, Toph. So you'd know how to reach this guy?" She pressed on.

"Friend of a friend of a friend of mine, sure. Why?" Toph asked, "Already want to go out with him?"

"To-oph!!" Katara cried, annoyed. Was it just her, or was Toph_ trying_ to get on her nerves today?

"Okay, okay, I get it." Toph said, slicing another piece and eating it, muttering a _"Sheesh._" underneath her breath_. _"Why?"

"I'd like to meet this guy. I want to meet him at the slopes, race each other, see just how good he really is..."

"Hmmm....reckon we could make a few bucks offa that?"

Katara's reply was a stern look. Toph kept right on eating her steak. "I'll take care of the bets then, and you just take it from there."

"You already have truck-loads of cash from your parents, Toph; why the heck do you want _more_?"

"It's not for the money," Toph told her seriously. "It's because I can and it's fun."She waved it off, still chewing. "I'll share profits, don't sweat it. You get...ehhh...10 percent?"

"Wow." Katara said, narrowing her eyes. "Nice to see that your morals are alive and well."

"What, you want more? Sheesh, I'm being generous here: giving you all the glory while I do all the work? Hardly my style—"

"Toph!"

"Yeah, yeah. By the way, I'm waiting for my thank you."

"For what?" Katara asked.

"For setting this thing up. It was you who wanted to start seeing this guy..." Katara shot Toph a nasty glare, which she ignored with painstaking ease. "So I should get credit for that, at least."

Sighing as she blew a stray piece of hair out of her face, Katara said grudgingly, "Thanks Toph." The freshman nodded in response. After a small hesitation as she looked at the steak again, she added, "Cut me a piece of that?"

Toph shook her head, hoarding the meat. "Nuh-uh. _My_ steak."

Katara sighed. "You are _just_ like Sokka when it comes to food, did I ever tell you that?"

"That's an insult! At least I have better manners."

"You hardly use them."

"Details, details..." Toph said, slicing off one-third of her steak and stabbing her fork into it. Placing it on Katara's plate next to the grilled cheese and tomato soup, she shoved the hunk of meat towards her. "You should eat.' Toph told her seriously. "Not good if you don't. You'll PMS on me."

"I'm not—!"

"Whatever."

Rolling her eyes, Katara grabbed her fork and began to eat.

* * *

Later that day, Katara was idly fiddling around with her pencil, supposedly solving a math problem but really spacing out. She really hated math. And Sokka—whom for whatever reason happened to be good at it—was going straight from his job to a movie date with Suki. Gran-Gran would have absolutely no clue how to solve it, and with Dad serving in the war, it left a rather lonesome house.

Gran-Gran was currently sleeping the day away (she took a rather lot of naps when she wasn't hard at work making food or traveling up and down the stairs). Her usual opera music was droning on and on in the background. Katara wished she could turn it off, she had heard this CD far too many times, but Gran-Gran had the uncanny ability to tell when her opera music was off. Maybe it put her to sleep.

Her cell-phone rang. The caller ID said "Toph". Katara picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sugar Queen."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Would you stop calling me that already? It's Katara. Ka-Ta-Ra."

"Really? I was supposed to call a Mrs. Sugar Queen. Must've gotten the wrong number..."

"Toph!"

There was an rather put-out huff over the phone, with a barely discernable: "Sugar Queen?"

Rubbing her forehead, Katara asked: "Toph, tell me you called me for more than just a stupid prank call!"

"Prank call? Sweetness, if that's what you think my prank call is like, then you've been hanging out with your brother too much..."

"Get to the point, Toph."

"I got you your date with Mr. Macho Snowboarding Machine."

Ignoring the 'date' bit, Katara asked her, "Really? When?"

"Saturday."

"Great!" Katara replied eagerly, being sure to add, "Thanks Toph."

"Yep. Now do me a favor and invite me over. I'm bored to death over here."

"Toph you live one block away from me. You could've just shown up."

"Ehh, it's polite. You should be encouraging me to be polite. Plus, I need help with homework."

"What subject?"

"Math, duh." Somehow, Katara wasn't surprised. Mr. Pakku was the toughest teacher around.

"Sokka's not here, and you know that I'm no better than you."

"So? Amuse me."

Smirking, Katara replied, "Come on over." Toph hung up immediately, and Katara did the same, still thinking about the recent news.

"Saturday, huh?" Katara said quietly to herself. It was Thursday today; that meant two days. Katara grinned, thinking back to all the times she had beaten her fellow guy-friends at snowboarding, ever since she had started taking to the slopes. She had been nicknamed "Snow Queen", which hadn't sat with Toph too well and was eventually adapted into "Sugar Queen". Fortunately, only Toph used it. This however, didn't phase her: snowboarding was something she took pride and pleasure in.

She would definitely enjoy showing this guy how it was done.

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Please comment!

So yeah. It'll get more interesting next chapter. Should be up in one week.


	3. First Encounter

Chapter two, as promised!  
Oh, btw, in case you weren't sure, there is no bending in this fic. I think it just defeats the whole purpose of Modern AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar

* * *

**Queen of the Slopes  
****Chapter Two:  
****First Encounter**

Bee-Bee-Bee-Bee-Beep! Beep! Beep! Be--_WHAM!!_

Katara hit the snooze button, hard. The beeping instantly died. Man, she hated it— it had to be the most annoying sound out there. Satisfied for the moment, she settled back down into the heat of her covers, wondering what on earth possessed her to set the alarm at 8:00 in the morning on a Saturday...

_Saturday_.

And all of a sudden, Katara felt wide awake.

Saturday: today was the day she would meet this guy! Today was the day she would _beat_ this guy, whoever he was. Whipping herself out of bed, Katara pulled her clothes out of the various drawers in her dresser and traveled down the stairs to take a shower.

All the while that Katara was in the shower, she kept up a steady stream of self encouragement in her mind: her own way of getting pumped. And it must've worked, because her records and medals proved it. She dressed, grabbing her snow jacket as she shoved on her snow pants over her sweats, and was just about to head out the door when she remembered she needed the keys to the car. And that meant sneaking past her older brother.

Sighing heavily, Katara trod back up the stairs. It was stupid, really, that Sokka claimed that the old blue truck was his own car. Sure, dad had helped him get it and told Sokka it was his own for the keeping, but it was also the _only car they had_. It should be the family car, not just her big brother's.

Carefully turning the doorknob, Katara opened her brother's door as quietly as she could. Tip-toeing her way over the mounds of clothes, she carefully reached up into the top bunk of his bed and underneath the covers, where she knew he kept the keys. A situation like this required stealth. Katara wasn't fooled by her brother's snores coming from the bottom bunk—Sokka had somehow developed a sixth sense when it came to car keys; maybe it was because she was always trying to steal them.

Katara slipped on a rung, rattling the metal bedframe with a resounding _CLANG! _Sokka woke up with a start, rubbing his eyes. Hurriedly grabbing the car keys, Katara raced out of her brother's room. _Then again... _She thought as she heard Sokka yell her name before jumping out of his bed, racing after her, _Maybe the reason that Sokka always knew was because stealth wasn't exactly her forte. _

She could hear her brother stumbling down the stairs after her, and she knew he was faster than her...if she could only get out the door and into the car! But no such luck, Sokka caught her around her stomach just as she was racing down their front porch steps_._

"Gotcha!" He cried out triumphantly, snatching the keys from her hand. "Now just _what_ are you doing with these?" He asked. Katara turned around to see her brother wearing nothing but basketball shorts (and one sock). In_ January_.

"Sokka, it's freezing! And it's none of your business, just give me the keys!"

"It's my business if you're taking _my_ car somewhere. _Ah-ha_!" He said, pointing at her snow-pants and jacket. "Snowboarding!"

Rolling her eyes at his success, Katara frowned. "Yeah, yeah, just brilliant Sokka. Can I go now?"

"Nuh-uh." He said in what he must've thought was a dignified manner, holding the keys up and out of her reach. "You're not taking my baby _anywhere_. You'll get it all banged up."

"I am _not_ that bad a driver!" She pouted. "You don't have to drive me everywhere!"

"Just let me take a shower and we can go. I'll be out in no time." He continued, walking back into the house as if he had just noticed the temperature.

"Why do you want to take a shower?"

He stuck his head out of the front door again. "You know me. I'll be hanging in the lodge with the chicks all day."

"I thought you said that you already had a 'babe' for a girlfriend?" Katara asked, smirking.

"That I do!" Sokka said cheerily, poking his head out the doorway and giving her a big smile, thumbs-up and a wink before he went to the shower.

Stomping up the front porch steps again, Katara called out: "You'd better hurry up in there!"

"Don't worry, Katara." He called over his shoulder. " I _always_ brush my teeth while showering."

She met that comment with a blank silence.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, with Sokka all showered, his teeth well-brushed, his hair combed, and dressed in clothes actually fit for winter, they headed down the road in the old blue truck. Katara popped a CD into the player and listened, letting nothing else distract her. She was all set; she was ready to go. All she needed now was to be cool, calm, collected.

Sitting in the driver's seat, Sokka didn't even bother telling his little sister that she was getting worked up for probably nothing. She was obsessed with snowboarding; still, he figured it was healthier than being obsessed with boys anyway, a stage she had gone through with Jet. When all else failed, and her relationship with Jet was a prime example, it was her hobby that she could always rely on. So other than tapping on the steering wheel to some of the tunes, Sokka stayed quiet for his sister's sake throughout the half-hour trip.

They arrived at the base of the mountain about 9:15, and were parked at the ski lodge further up the mountain about 9:25. The siblings both hopped out of the truck, and grabbing their gear they headed up to the ski lodge.

"If all you plan on doing here..." Katara began as they hiked up the steps to the huge log-cabin. "Is hang out at the lodge," she continued, finally making it to the top of the steep climb and stopping. "Why did you bring your board?"

"Never know," Sokka replied, playing it cool. "I might need to impress someone."

"Ha!" Katara said, sitting down to latch one boot into her board. "The poor girls would probably get run over by you with your boarding skills." Katara told him.

"Shut up." He said, smirking. "Go whip those guys for me today, okay?"

Putting on her gloves, Katara stood up and grinned at her older brother. "Naturally." The two hugged, and the Kuruk siblings went their separate ways: Sokka inside the lodge, Katara to the ski-lift up the mountain.

Siding smoothly down the lane on her snowboard to the loading department, Katara came to a stop: there was a long line ahead of her; unusual for this time of year, as it wasn't technically the tourist season for Mt. Bear Ski Slope. Maybe an end-of-the-semester retreat? At any rate, Katara knew they would have to double- or triple-up with people on the lifts, so she would be stuck with someone on the long ride up. She desperately hoped they wouldn't bother her; not today.

Slowly the line moved to the point where Katara was next in line to jump on the lift. Looking to the left, it seemed that there was only one person she would pair up with on the ride: a boy, about her age, with a faded orange snowboard jacket and brown snowpants, complete with orange goggles. He grinned easily at her as the people in front of them jumped on. Surprised, Katara merely gave him a brief smile before pushing off to catch the lift. The boy followed suit.

The lift curved around the railing, and being on the outside edge of the rotation, Katara made extra sure she wasn't going to miss her ride. Grabbing the pole that connected the seat to the ski-lift line, Katara easily swung herself up onto the chair. The boy next to her got on, and with a slight swing of the chair they were off.

Pointedly looking off to her right to discourage any conversation, she tried to focus on her purpose: Toph said that they would meet on the top of the hill at noon. It was about nine thirty-five, and with the large crowd today she estimated that she could manage getting in four whole runs down the entire mountain, with enough time to inform Sokka she was about to race and get up the mountain again. Apparently though, she wasn't going to be able to concentrate as easily as she thought.

Pulling up his goggles off of his face and placing them on top of his earflap-beanie, the boy looked over at Katara and grinned again, showing off all of his teeth. Glancing at him for a moment, Katara was able to notice his pale skin and grey eyes before turning away again. But he wouldn't let their exchange end there.

"So..." The boy began, and Katara frowned off toward the distance. She hated small-talk with guys; it was nearly always the same. "You don't look much like a Betty."

Turning around again, Katara raised one eyebrow in disbelief. "Was that supposed to be a pick-up line?" She asked him, clearly unimpressed, "Or is this your idea of small-talk?"

"Errmmm...second choice?" He said sheepishly, shrugging in complete honesty.

Eyeing him, Katara replied, "Good answer, but I'm just not in the mood..." She told him, giving something along the lines of an apologetic grin before turning away again. He stayed silent, except for a few uncomfortable shifts in his seat. Katara settled back down to focus, but found herself distracted by his movement.

"Would you cut that out?" Katara called over to him, and instantly the motion coming from her left stopped. She tried again to focus on just snowboarding, but something began to bother her: conscience.

Rolling her eyes, Katara turned around to apologize. "Sorry, but I need to focus..." She paused, noticing his stare and his smile. It was rather unnerving. Blinking, Katara turned away again, until she felt herself being bugged by something he had said earlier. Finally, she asked him about it:

"What do you mean, 'I don't look like a Betty'?" She asked him, genuinely confused.

"Oh, you know..." The boy replied, trailing off. "Girls who can't really board it. Just sit around and, well...giggle."

Smirking, Katara knew what he meant. She'd never heard the term 'Betty' before though: it was a pretty amusing slang. "A 'Betty'?" She repeated.

"Yeah." He said. Katara glanced over at him: there was that sheepish grin again. She smiled in spite of herself.

"Sounds like you've had a lot of experience with these 'Betty's." She said in a teasing tone.

Rubbing the back of his head, the boy grinned. "You could say that..." Glancing down at her board, he commented, "Flameo board."

Looking down at her snowboard, Katara couldn't find anything special about it, except that it was a deep school-blue—her favorite color— with a white crescent moon at the top. Looking down at his board, she noticed the velvety-brown color, with a white arrow running right down the middle. It matched his beanie, that same white arrow running down the length.

"Ehh, not so special." She commented, shuffling a bit of powdered snow off of the board. "'Flamey-o'?" She commented dryly, picking up that weird slang of his again.

"Yeah, you know, 'Flameo'?" He said, and Katara merely raised an eyebrow. This didn't phase him. "Hmmm...you're a real joey when it comes to slang, aren'tcha?"

Katara laughed. "Judging from what you think is 'slang', I think it's better I don't know at all." She told him, smiling. He returned her smile with one of his grins. Her smile slowly faded, and she looked away again, flicking her eyes back to him over and over. "Why are you smiling at me like that?" She asked him.

Sheepish grin returning to his face, the boy said, "I dunno, I guess I just like to smile a lot. Something wrong?"

Katara hastened to make herself clear: "No, you've got a nice smile or...whatever..." She said slowly, mentally kicking herself. "It's just...I don't know, weird."

"Oh." He said, his grin fading. "So, you look like you've been saucing it up for a while now."

She shook her head at the slang; apparently, this guy just couldn't drop it. "Yeah. You?"

"Only my second run on this mountain, I came up here just yesterday." He told her, adding, "But I'm no caddy at shredding it up."

"Oh, really?" Katara asked him, noticing that the top drop-off for the chairlift was approaching fast. "Race you down Muzzle Trail."

"Okay." He consented, adding on at the end, "But you'd better not turn out to be just another one of them Betty's!"

"Please." Katara smirked, sliding off her seat and down onto the main area. The guy followed her easily. Both made their way to the top of Muzzle Trail: it was one of the funner courses, with a bit more variety that just drops and flat-zones.

"You ready?" The boy asked her, putting on his goggles. Simply turning over to look at him, Katara grinned, immediately flipping her board vertical to the slope and sliding down the hill.

Looking back, Katara briefly saw his surprise before he copied her movement. Chuckling quietly to herself, she decided to have a little fun with him: a jump presented itself in her path, perfect for a good 720-degree flip. Readying herself for the jump, Katara powered into it and flew far up, making her predicted two-spin flip. Landing with catlike skill, she turned around to see how her companion would handle it. Following her motion, he crouched down in preparation before flying off the jump, mimicking her 720-degree, waving to her with one hand as he spun, the grin on his face unmistakable. His landing was flawless.

Mildly impressed, Katara came across another jump. This time as she came off of it, she decided to do a switch flip, turning opposite the way she normally would. She landed with 720 again, riding fakie now. Slowing down a little to see what he would do, she watched as he pulled it off again, the exact way she did it, except waving like an idiot the entire time.

Determined to play a move he couldn't copy, Katara went off her third jump with a forward flip—a somersault in mid-air. Immediately after landing the trick, she turned her head to see how he would handle it. He pulled it off with apparent ease, coming clean in his landing. This guy knew how to board.

"That one was tricky!" The boy called out after her.

A turn was approaching fast. Smirking as she turned her head briefly, Katara called out behind her, "Then you're gonna love this next one!"

The curve presented itself in her way, and daringly she went off of it, doing a 900-degree flip sideways, alonside the face of the mountain. Barely skimming the side as she came down, Katara landed, powdered snow trailing from where she grazed the snow with her board.

"Top that!" She called out daringly.

The boy said nothing, but came into his jump, airborne. He managed the 900-degree spin easily, the marks of his board touching the snow reaching higher than her's! Coming down, he skidded alongside the moutain with ease, as if her were on a rail. Giving her a thumbs-up, he called out to her "What's next?"

Katara wasn't sure what exactly she would do next, but she would make him pay.

And so it went on, all the way down the Muzzle Trail hill: she would do a move, he would copy it with ease, sometimes waving at her while in the air, always with a grin plastered over his face. It was starting to really annoy her, how easily he could follow her. He even seemed to be getting more air on his jumps than she was! And with every time she completed a trick, she would barely slow down to watch. After a while, he began to gain on her.

As the last leg of the course came up—a series of sharp curves in the trail before the final jump—Katara crouched nose down, gaining speed. She would pull a move that he simply _couldn't_ top. Barely turning her head, she noticed that he was mimicking her speeding pose, and worse, he was _gaining_ on her! Determination rising in her, Katara sped down the track, using every turn to her advantage as she traveled on the inside ring. In spite of herself, she turned around—apparently, her companion was taking a different route than her; he was falling behind! Instead of turning on the inside as Katara was, he worked his hardest to go on the _outer_ side of the ring, catching air on every slanted curve of the mountain. Katara smirked; just as he decided to stop mimicking her, he chose the one move that would allow her to win the race!

Curving as the final jump approached fast, Katara remembered this one well. There was a curve in the track at the bottom of the jump: she wouldn't be able to jump her usual height, or she would likely go off the track. It was a trick jump; most boarders had to learn through experience how to handle it. Katara had to as well, but this guy said it was only his second time on the mountain. And with all his airborne jumps, this last one would be his downfall.

Finally, the jump presented itself. Smirking, Katara decided to do something a bit more unique. Crouching low, she timed her takeoff perfectly. Quickly bundling her body into a forward-flip, she added a 360 twist, turning upside-down. It added flair, without using too much air-time. She landed near the end on the track, but she had stayed on the course. Turning her board quickly so as to stay on the course, she smirked as she turned her head, expecting him to soar over the track, missing it completely.

She thought wrong.

Coming off of the final curve on the outer ring again, her "friend" speeded toward the jump at a completely different angle. It was one she hadn't ever thought of doing; it was suicidal! There was a perfectly-placed pine tree blocking his way; he'd smack right into it! Katara instinctively put her gloved hands to her mouth, shocked that he would dare it, waiting for him to change course, anything, but he only pressed on faster.

Poised for attack, he jumped. Katara almost couldn't watch. The guy may have had some air on his side, but there was _no way _he'd be able to clear that tree! Katara looked on, horrified, waiting for the sound of some sickening crunch of a body.

She was right; he didn't clear it.

He flew right past it. The guy cut clear pass the tree, all the while copying her move. Curling in a ball, he managed to do a 540 degree flip, a complete one-and-a-half twist, landing his fakie perfectly on the track. He couldn't have! It was impossible! He was insane, he was...tied neck-and-neck with her!

She couldn't believe it! No way was he going to beat her, not now! Crouching low, both Katara and the boy sped down toward the ski lift, drawing the eyes of most every kid on the bunny trail runningparallel to the main course.

Just as they were about to crash into the line for the chair lift, both instantaneously turned, skidding to a sudden stop, spraying a few people with shredded snow in the process.

A tie.

Pulling off his goggles and lifting them onto his head again, the boy smiled at her, gazing in newfound respect. "Whoa, you got moves! You weren't kidding; you ain't no Betty, for sure!"

Feeling as though she would rather like to slap that grin off his face, Katara turned her board away from him and made her way down to the lodge. She knew that it was a tie. But, if she hadn't gotten a good head-start on him...he would've beaten her. And she knew it.

He called out something after her, but she didn't look back. Seeing Toph come out of the lodge to greet her, Katara slid smoothly over to her best friend, her face giving nothing away.

"Hey Sugar Queen!" Toph called out, bundled up in a green ski-jacket with mufflers. Katara nodded in reply but said nothing, stopping in front of her freshman friend. Toph glanced over Katara's shoulder at the boy, who was currently sliding his way down to them. Turning back to face Katara, Toph said, "So you've already met him?"

Pulling off her goggles, Katara stared at Toph. "Who?"

Frowning, Toph looked at her inquisitively. "Hotshot Snowboarder. The Transfer. Last name's 'Yasto', or 'Yahtzee', something like that..." Looking over her friend's shoulder again, Toph folded her arms across her chest, nodding as she looked at something behind Katara. Confused, Katara turned around, coming face-to-face with that guy. Suddenly, she understood what Toph was talking about.

He was the guy who had just beat her. That same guy who had stolen the spotlight from her. That same guy who she was supposed to whip on the course today at noon.

"Hi." He said, smiling easily at her. "The name's Aang. Aang Gyatso."

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Please review!

Next update should be within two weeks at most, next Monday at least. I was kinda hoping to focus on a one-shot right now...


	4. Second Race

Sorry about the wait. Reasons for said wait? Check my livejournal.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar.

* * *

**Queen of the Slopes  
****Chapter Three:  
****Second Race**

To say that Katara was surprised would have been an understatement. Katara was blown away—by his skills, by his identity, and by his _audacity_ to talk to her! Her stomach clenched in anger, and she could feel her muscles tightening as if she were about to fight.

"Um..." Aang would've shuffled his feet nervously if they weren't strapped to a snowboard, so he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. The girl simply sat down to detatch her boots from her board, yet her eyes never left his for an instant. She was glaring him down, not even bothering to glance down at her boots. Usually when he introduced himself, people would tell him their name, or say hi, or give some form of recognition. Yet the look this girl was giving him right now closely resembled a growling wolf. "Something wrong?"

Instantly he knew that was the wrong thing to say.

Standing up, she narrowed her piercing blue eyes down at him—it seemed she had grown a few inches taller than him in the last second or two. The girl glared, coming right up into his face. "Yes. Yes, there is." Placing one finger lightly on his chest, Katara whispered coldly: "Rematch. We're still racing at noon."

It wasn't an offer; it was a demand. Bobbing his head up and down, Aang decided that saying "Yes, Ma'am," would only make things worse.

"Good," she said, and whirling herself around, she grabbed her friend's wrist and pulled them both into the lodge.

For his own part, Aang plopped himself down in the snow.

* * *

"Sugar Queen! Let go of me, before I _knock your face in_!" Katara could tell Toph meant it, so she released her grip on her wrist. Toph responded with a quick punch to Katara's shoulder as payback. Whipping her head around, Katara stared her down menacingly.

"What was_ that_ for?"

"_What was that for_, Sweetness?" Toph replied sarcastically, staring right back. "What did you grab my wrist for, huh?"

Turning around to set her board down, Katara sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Forgiven," Toph said instantly, continuing, "But that doesn't tell me_ why_." She crossed her arms over her chest. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Toph."

She snorted. "That's what you always say before you spill your guts."

"Will you just quit it?" Katara snapped back. "I need to focus..."

Toph shrugged, but said nothing. Both wandered over to a free table near the far corner, Toph saying she was going to order some food now. Katara sat rather alone at the table, fiddling with the ends of her hair, which was tied up in it's traditional braid.

Katara knew that she really shouldn't have talked to "Aang" like that; she should apologize. More importantly, she knew that she really shouldn't _race_ Aang again. There was something wrong with her today...she was just having one of those downhill days. For some reason, she wasn't performing like she wanted; she should wait another day.

Yet at the same time, Katara knew that if she walked away now, she'd never hear the end of it. Odds were she would race him again in one week's time. That one week would become unbearable. Everyone would know (as Toph had said, it's a small-town school) and she'd have just a _wonderful_ time dealing with comments, remarks, and looks-down-the-hallway at school.

Then again, she might be doing her best right now....and she _still_ wasn't good enough. But how could that be? She was _the best_, small-town or no; her records were best in her entire region!

Inner battles raging inside her head, Katara was rather glad when Toph came back with two sodas and a hotdog: maybe food would take her mind off the topic. If nothing else, Toph probably could.

"You like Ginger Ale, don'cha?" Toph asked, sliding the can across the table. Katara nodded numbly, opening it and taking a sip without a word, still staring down at the table. Setting her soda can down, she returned to fiddling with her hair.

Setting down her own coke with a little more force, Toph rolled her eyes and asked, "Are you gonna tell me what's bugging you or not? I'm not getting any wiser over here, ya know!"

Glancing up at her best friend, Katara decided that Toph deserved to know. And she wanted to talk about it as well; get a second opinion.

"I need you advice." Katara said. Toph nodded, waiting.

"...We tied."

"Huh?"

"Umm..." Katara said, trying to figure out a good starting point. "Well, we met each other, and I didn't know him and he didn't know me I think, and stuff. So we raced down the hill—"

"Not your usual routine." Toph pointed out dully. Katara looked sharply at her, and Toph put her hands up, "Just pointing it out is all." However, she took the cue to let her friend finish the story.

Taking a breath, Katara finished: "...and we tied."

Toph blinked. "That's it? So _what?_"

Katara frowned. "No, that's _not_ it." She said, wondering if she really wanted to talk about this, and to Toph of all people! It wasn't exactly easy for Katara to admit her faults, her shortcomings. And to tell Toph about them—the proudest person she ever knew—was not usually something Katara would consider.

But she still needed that outside opinion...

"I started first. On the race."

Toph stared back at her. "...I don't follow."She said after a while.

"I started first! Head-start, Toph!" Katara said, exasperated. "Meaning that when we tied, it really mean that he....won."

Toph continued to stare at her, only somewhat more surprised than confused now at recent events. It was really annoying, Katara thought. She needed advice right now, and Toph wasn't giving her anything except a blank face.

"_Well?_ Aren't you gonna say anything?" She finally spoke up, rubbing her temples with her fingers.

"Yup." Toph said seriously, taking another gulp of soda. "Don't race today."

"_What?!_" Katara cried out.

"You heard me."

"_No!_" She insisted, prompting Toph to raise an eyebrow at her as she sipped her coke again. "I can't!" Katara continued, trying to justify herself. "You said so yourself, everyone in school will know!"

"Hey, you wanted my advice and I told you: don't race today. You're not game today, so what? You gotta come back another day, beat him then."

"I can't!" Katara repeated. "I'm not gonna let him go around saying that he beat me toady." Standing up, she turned around to walk away.

"Fine by me!" Toph said.

Katara stopped. "You've got both cameras, right?"

"Yeah..." Toph said, still frowning at her.

"Good." Katara went to the door.

She could hear Toph call something out to her, but Katara kept on walking._ Toph doesn't really know..._ Katara thought bitterly as she grabbed her snowboard_. Toph doesn't know anything!_ Kicking the lodge door open, Katara looked down to see "Aang" sitting down in the snow. Immediately he looked up at her with wide grey eyes, apparently not quite sure what to say.

"Sorry." Katara told him stiffly.

"It's—" He started to say, but she was already walking away. "...Okay." He finished, watching her walk down towards the ski lift line. Aang noticed that she made extra sure to sit down and strap her snowboard to her boots only when she was a good ways away from him.

He sighed.

* * *

Standing up at the top of the slopes, she anxiously shuffled the powdered snow underneath her. It was almost noon, and so far "Aang" was a no-show. It was making her terribly nervous: she was constantly strapping and un-strapping her boots to her snowboard. Yet she knew she couldn't be nervous; now was not the time to be nervous. She was just...jittery.

A small crowd of about five people were up there with her—all snowboarders or skiers, who planned on trailing down after her and her opponent. The rest—Toph and Sokka included—were waiting at the bottom.

A small snowfall was beginning, wispy flakes falling down to a breeze. Of course, it was always windy up here, being so high up. Suddenly Katara had the feeling of loneliness. Usually, feeling as if she were a loner made her think she was stronger; as if she was made of something sterner. Today, she simply felt _alone_. She missed Toph and Sokka. While she would rather have Toph or Sokka up here to encourage her and calm her, still, watching the snowfall was relatively peaceful.

It was then that her opponent showed up. Already sitting down in the snow, Katara quickly strapped her boots to her board and stood up.

"Listen..." Aang started.

_Oh, now what does he want?_ Katara though bitterly.

"I really don't wanna race today." Said Aang. This stopped Katara in her tracks.

"What?" She asked bluntly.

"Well...I don't know." He said honestly. "You take this so seriously, and all I wanna do is just shred it. And well, truth is, I don't...like competition."

Katara's next thoughts were something along the line of: _Was this guy insane?!_ Katara had never heard of anyone who didn't want to race her, especially a boy. Growing up with Sokka, and knowing people like Jet and Zuko, Katara had figured all boys were competitive. It seemed in their nature. What, was he trying to be polite because she was a _girl_?

"You know, if you're tying to be nice because I'm a girl, don't sweat it."

"Oh, no, no, it's not that..." Aang said immediately, a little hurt she would jump to that sort of conclusion. "But it's like I said...I don't like serious competition."

"Consider this a friendly competition then," Katara told him. "Nothing to it." As she said the words, Katara was instantly denying them in her mind. This was something more than just a simple "friendly competition".

Sighing, Aang nodded his head in submission and put on his goggles. He bent over and strapped his boots to the snowboard. _Well, he's flexible all right_. Katara thought. Pulling her goggles over her head and fastening them around her eyes, she gave a thumbs up to Haru—a part-time skier and an old friend of her—who was behind them with a stopwatch. Who knew? Maybe she would set a new hometown record.

Looking over to her opponent, she saw he was all ready to go. He looked back, smiling shyly.

"No head-starts this time?" He said jokingly. She ignored it.

"Ready?" She called out to him. He nodded. Looking behind again, she asked Haru the same question. He waved in response.

"On your mark." Haru said. "Get set." Katara got into her stance.

"_Go_!"

With that, both Katara and Aang flipped their boards and started down the hill.

Katara shredded the slope easily. Like all of the trails on Bear Mt., she knew this one. Claw Trail: it was the exact same one she had torn over the edge of the cliff earlier this week. It was the one she would beat Aang on by going over that same cliff again.

He was likely to follow the main course, Katara knew. Yet out of the corner of her eye, Katara couldn't see Aang to her right or left, and he certainly wasn't in front of her. _He must be behind me, _Katara thought. And if he was behind her, he might dare to go off of the cliff after her. Not good.

Coming up across the cliff edge, Katara suddenly slowed down. Aang shot past her, and she was surprised at his speed. She didn't let it bother her though, smirking; it was working. Cutting through the trees, Katara knew that she was veering off the course a little by going over the cliff. But he still had to worry about that long curve through the trees before making it to the bottom of the hill.

Bursting through the trees, Katara soared over the cliff's edge. She turned one, two, three, four, four-and-a-half times before landing roughly in the snow. It hurt her ankles a little, but Katara didn't care. All her mind was focused on was winning.

Curving her way around the cliff edge, Katara was shocked.

Aang was speeding down the hill right for her. Worse than that, he was faster on his board, and was going to pass her! Steadily she gained speed down the hill, but it seemed as though he was just that much faster. Finally, just as it seemed as though she was getting some real speed, he came up next to her. Tied mid-race again. Already!

Enraged, Katara sped down the hill with him. She went off every jump she could to try and speed up, but he was still tied. She could feel her hair loosening underneath her beanie, ends starting to come out of her neat braid. This did nothing to help Katara. He was gaining on her somewhat, but it didn't really matter: he might as well have been miles ahead of her with his skills.

They came across the final jump, and Katara found herself peering over at Aang. How exactly did he get all that air, all of his speed?

He narrowed down, readying himself for the jump. She copied. Noticing the fast-approaching jump, Katara had to re-focus on doing her own thing. She would beat him!

She came off her jump perfectly. Grabbing her board to level out, she did a quick flip in the air, focusing on her landing. She landed perfectly.

Barely out of the corner of her eye, Katara saw Aang go a foot in front of her.

Both sped down to the finish line. _Come on..._ Katara thought, noticing him barely gaining his speed again. _Come on, Katara!_ _Come on! _As they neared the finish line, a small red tape being held by two people.

Aang burst past the line, dragging the tape with him. He won.

She had _lost_.

Disbelieving, Katara immediately sped over to her brother, who held a camcorder in his hand.

"Turn it off." She told him. Startled, Sokka, flipped the red button titled 'Record'. "Play it back." She told him stiffly. He did as he was asked. "Did you catch that guy when he came around the curve of those trees ?"

"He didn't come around the trees." Sokka told her.

"What!"

"He went over them."

"_What?_!" Katara almost shrieked at her brother. He frowned at her.

"Just watch it yourself." He told her, shoving the recorder in her hands. He left. For the moment, Katara didn't really care. She just had to know...

Pressing the green 'Play' button, Katara watched as he went down the steep slope, the one she had missed to go over the edge. She saw it all: Aang crouched low, gaining momentum with every second. The curve was coming up fast—even though the curve was well-designed, specifically rounded to that people wouldn't go flying off, he still would!

But that was exactly what he planned on doing.

Jumping off what was supposed to be a curve, he jumped over the trees. _Tall,_ _tall pine trees_. He didn't even bother doing a trick, focusing entirely on getting past those trees. But he wasn't going to clear them all— there were far too many! He started to descend, and soon he was lost behind the branches. The recording continued to look at the spot where he last disappeared. Katara waited impatiently.

Suddenly he burst forth from the small grove, getting back on the track. He had barely slowed down at all!

Pressing 'Pause' on the camcorder, Katara didn't want to look anymore. She felt sick to her stomach; she just wanted to get out of there. Looking over at her opponent, she saw Aang surrounded by guys and girls alike, crowding around him. All the more reason for her to get away.

"Haru!" Katara called out. After arguing with Toph and being downright rude to her brother, she knew that neither of them would be willing to bring her home now.

"Haru!" She called out again. Haru finished coming down the hill on his skis, stopping in front of her..

"Can I get a ride?" Katara asked weakly.

Nodding his head, Haru asked nicely, "Something happen, Katara?"

Glancing toward Aang, who was currently trying to escape the crowd and so far failing, she looked back at Haru and said: "I just want to get out of here."

"Sure." He complied, tossing her the keys. "My car's parked right over there, just wait for me, okay?" He pointed to his green van.

"Thanks." She told him. He gave her a quick hug, which she returned somewhat, before he went off to the ski lodge.

Katara trailed down to Haru's car. Opening it, she shut herself inside. She didn't dare let herself cry; she didn't want to seem weaker than she already was. Haru showed up soon after, and she gave him the keys. He smiled at her, but Katara looked away and out her window. He started the engine.

Just as they were heading out, Katara saw Aang in her rearview mirror. Having finally escaped his admirers, he was sprinting down the hill towards the car. He seemed to be shouting something at her, but Katara couldn't hear. She looked away from the mirror, before she disappeared around the bend of trees and out of sight.

Defeated.

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Please comment!

Yeah, late-Monday update. Still Monday though!  
Next upload should be within a week, providing school doesn't keep me grounded. If so, two weeks.


	5. Lonely Monday

This is a weird chapter. Oh well.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar

* * *

**Queen of the Slopes  
Chapter Four:  
Lonely Monday**

Katara groaned as she woke up: Monday could not have arrived that fast.

Usually, Katara was not excited for the start of the school week because it meant little or no time spending at Bear Mt. Slope. Recent events changed her view on this; she couldn't show her face right after what had happened Saturday. Over the weekend, she had felt a pit of worry at the thought of having to see all of her peers again. This time, it was because they all knew that kid beat her. Katara, with an unbeatable record, suddenly beaten by some kid?

Unheard of.

She feared facing Toph. Katara hadn't yet apologized to her, and it was killing her. And she really needed someone like Toph to get her through this. She remembered when she still had traces of her farmer's accent. It had been Toph who had shut up everyone (albeit through a few violent punches). They had become real good friends after that.

Worst of all, Katara didn't want to have to come face-to-face with that transfer. Hopefully, he was in a different grade than her. She didn't even want to see that kid's face in the hallways of their school.

Rolling out of her bed onto the floor (her bed wasn't exactly high off the ground, with only two small mattresses and a thin frame in it's entirety), Katara untangled herself from the bed sheets. Grabbing her alarm clock, she fumbled with it until she saw 7:19 blazing up at her in deep red clock-numbers. Sighing, she slowly stood up. Grabbing a few various clothes, she basically slept-walk down the stairs towards the shower.

Unfortunately for her, it was already occupied.

"Sokka." Katara knocked on the door. "Sokka, are you almost done?"

"Hey, don't rush me!" Sokka's voice traveled through the door. "Takes time to make this handsome of a face."

"Oh, don't make me gag." Katara told him. "The shower's not on. You're done, aren't ya? How long can it take you to just get dressed?"

"I'm shaving."

"Shaving _what_, exactly?" Katara asked. In all the years she'd known him, her brother had almost no stubble to speak of.

"Oh, my legs and armpits." Came the sarcastic reply. "What do you _think_ I'm shaving?!"

"Shaving your non-existent beard can't take _that_ long, Sokka!"

"Excuse me for indulging in my manly arts." He relied indignantly.

"Because it's sooooo _manly_ to spend hours in front of a bathroom mirror." Katara reminded him slyly. There was no response. "Sokka!" Katara shouted to the bathroom door. "We need to leave soon!" She rapped her knuckles hard on the wooden door. "Sokka, you get out of there now! I need to shower!"

"Not my problem." Sokka's bored voice told her. "Wake up earlier next time..."

"You can shave somewhere else! C'mon, Sokka, please!" Katara shouted.

The bathroom door suddenly swung wide open, causing Katara to back up in alarm. Sokka stood in the doorway, pants on and towel over his shoulder. He frowned.

"I was just finished."

"Finally!" Katara cried exasperatedly, pushing past him.

As her brother walked back to his room, Katara barely heard him mutter before she closed the door: "..always about you..."

Katara paused for a moment, closing the door and locking it. Soon, her rush mode got her back into place: _Gotta shower, shower, quick, hurry_! Soon she was in the hot water, hastily lathering up her hair.

She decided not to dwell on her brother's words.

* * *

"Katara, breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Her grandmother chided her, pointing at her with a wooden mixing spoon as Katara grabbed a breakfast bar out of a cupboard. "You'll go hungry if you don't eat properly."

Another honk came ringing into the kitchen—Sokka was waiting outside in the old blue truck already. Knowing her brother, he wouldn't wait much longer.

"I know Gran-Gran, but it's 7:40!" She shoved a few bars into her backpack, shutting the flap. "Gotta go, love ya, see ya later, bye!" She gave her grandmother a hug, who responded with a quick peck on Katara's cheek, traditional Gran-Gran style.

Katara sprinted out the front door.

"Sokka!"

Her brother had already revved up the old blue truck and was about to pull out of the driveway when she waved him down. Smiling gratefully as she hopped inside, she slammed the door shut. "Sorry for being late."

"Yeah." came her brother's blunt reply.

About to ask him what his problem was, Katara suddenly stopped herself, clamping her mouth shut. She already knew why.

...Did he really think of her that way? That she was completely selfish and vain and conceited? Her own brother? Honestly? Was that what she was really like to him? Katara wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. Besides, she had bigger problems for the today anyhow, namely "Aang".

The Kuruk siblings didn't talk the entire trip, listening to the radio the whole way. But the silence between them seemed deafening to her. Katara was thankful when she got out of the truck. She hadn't had many awkward moments with her brother before; the ones she'd experienced before were usually things they could laugh off. Not this time, though. She hoped that her time with (and apology to) Toph would go smoother.

It didn't.

"So you got beat." Toph said disinterestedly as she rummaged through her locker. Katara had just finished explaining Saturday's _"Tale of Woe" _to her, and waited patiently as her freshman friend grabbed her books, sweets, and other essential things for class. "I would say I told you so, but I don't really care..."

"Toph." Katara sighed. "I know I was—"

"A jerk?" Toph guessed. Katara rolled her eyes.

"Yes... _That_." A wry expression ran over Katar's face. "And I'm sorry."

"Sure." Slamming her locker, Toph didn't even bother looking at her friend as she went off towards class. Somehow, Katara got the impression that Toph hadn't forgiven Katara entirely. With that, she walked quietly off to her own English 201.

Entering the class, Katara couldn't believe what she saw: In the middle of the classroom, quite a few people were huddled around together, talking excitedly. And one single person was in the middle of it all: Aang.

If there was ever incentive to sit at the back of the class, Katara thought that this was it. She slunk her way to the back table, plugging her MP3 into her ears and cranking up the volume as loud as she could without breaking her eardrums. She hid the earphones behind her long brown hair. Her teacher, , wouldn't be able to notice. Toph had renamed him Mr. Z, but Katara dared not use it. Zhao wasn't a person to cross. You didn't want to mock him openly, especially since everyone knew that he had never wanted to retire as a _school teacher _instead of being in the Army. His class wasn't actually that hard, given Zhao total lack of interest in the subject...you just weren't allowed to mess up.

She peeked through the mass of Juniors to the center: it seemed Aang was enjoying himself amidst everyone there. Katara couldn't hear what he was saying, but he seemed to be vividly describing his snowboarding skills. Katara scoffed.

Mr. Zhao entered the classroom. Still unable and unwilling to hear— she would rather let the music drown out everything else in her mind—Katara read his lips instead: "Take out your English books." He looked around the classroom, before saying tiredly: "Get into your seats." No one moved. He yelled. _"Now_!"

The mob of teenagers immediately fled back to their seats. Katara saw Aang, still sitting in the middle of class. He seemed rather happy with himself. Somehow, Katara wasn't surprised.

Clenching her MP3, she only turned the volume up louder.

Suddenly a hand was on her desk. Katara looked up at Mr. Zhao.

"Ahem. Katara? What is the rule about electronics in my class?"

"Katara stared up at Mr. Zhao, feigning innocence. She wasn't very good at poker face-though, as Mr. Zhao held out his hand expectantly. Katara sighed, pulled off the headphones and grudgingly handed them over.

He smirked, taking it from her."Next time, I suggest you not turn up the music so loud that we can all hear you." He walked away, saying, "You may have this at the end of the week."

_Great_.

Everyone was looking over at her. One pale face, with great big grey eyes, stood out among the rest. It seemed Aang had just noticed she had gotten there, and he was as surprised as she had been. He continued to look at her, turned around completely in his seat. Katara avoided his gaze, looking anywhere but at him. It was unnerving, how he looked at her.

"Well, class," Mr. Zhao began, "we have a new student today, and he's..." Mr. Zhao stopped, looking at Aang, who was still turned around in his seat. "Mr. Gyatso?" He growled.

"Huh?" Aang said, turning his head around Katara sighed quietly in relief. And annoyance. "Oh, hi!" Aang said, as if he had just noticed Mr. Zhao. "Sorry about that." He flipped his body around in the desk.

"Yes, thank you for joining us." Mr. Zhao said. "Class, this is Mr. Gyatso."

"Call me Aang." Aang told him, waving.

"_Thank _you." Mr. Zhao growled. Aang nodded, still wearing that stupid grin of his. Katara would have laughed out loud if it wasn't that transfer who was making her laugh. Aang's small verbal victory wouldn't last long however. Zhao's next comment would torture both Aang _and_ Katara, as he explained to the class: "Mr. Gyatso is a _freshman_."

Immediately Aang slumped into his seat. Everyone stared at him. A _freshman_...was in a _Junior_-level class? Katara supposed it was totally usual in other big-city high schools, but such things weren't exactly daily occurrences at _thei_r small-town high.

And all Katara could think was:_ So I've been beaten at snowboarding by not just some freshman, but a _nerd_ as well....Great. Just great._

Smirking in a delightfully savage way, Mr. Zhao continued: "He will be in our class for the rest of the semester, providing he can keep up." Aang sank even lower in his seat, if that was possible. "We'll be sure he knows _just how hard _my class is. Right, everyone?"

Everyone responded with a groan. Junior year was turning out hard enough as it was already, and suddenly Zhao wanted to make it _harder?_

All thanks to Aang.

Mr. Zhao looked around the room. "Why aren't your books out yet?"

Everyone hastily grabbed their books.

"Page 316 of your books. Read the..." Zhao silently cursed as he read the daily lesson plan. "Read the_ poem_ I assign you and analyze with a partner." He stared down at the Juniors. "Well, hurry and pick a partner before I change my mind and pick them myself!"

There was a frantic scramble. Suddenly, everyone had a partner, except Katara and..._Aang_.

It was Katara's turn to curse.

"Ahh, Miss Kuruk..." Zhao said. "It seems you have the pleasure of pairing up with your freshman friend Mr. Gyatso." Katara glared up at Mr. Zhao; she hated his knowledge of how to squash people. "I expect both of your _"creative minds" _to come up with an _extra_ clever analysis." He smirked. "Poem 12, please."

"Yes, Mr. Zhao." Katara replied through gritted teeth. Mr. Zhao left, snapping randomly assigned poems to everyone else.

Aang wandered over to where Katara sat, pulling up a chair. "Um, hi."

"Skip the intro, lets just go straight to the stupid assignment."

"Oh... Right."

They flipped to Poem 12. The author was declared "Anonymous".

"Huh. This guy's dad doesn't know how to name his kids." Aang commented jokingly. Katara glared, causing Aang to shut up.

Katara read silently:

Moses supposes his toeses are roses,  
But Moses supposes erroneously;  
For nobody's toeses are posies of roses  
As Moses supposes his toeses to be.

_What a stupid poem. What a waste of time. _Katara thought.

"Done?" asked Aang. Katara nodded. "Err..okay. So...we analyze now."

"Apparently." Katara said sarcastically. She was not enjoying this at all, and she was going to let him know it. She glanced down at the poem again. "What's erroneously mean?"

Aang shrugged. Leaning back in his chair, he grabbed a dictionary from the shelf, placed conveniently behind him.

"Lessee..."Aang mumbled to himself, thumbing through the dictionary. "E... E-R... Eros, err, erratic... Aha! _Erroneous_." He read: "Noun. Containing or based on error; mistaken; wrong." He snapped the dictionary closed, smiling at her.

Katara merely returning to her paper and scribble it down. Aang took that as his cue to be quiet.

They worked in moderate silence, writing down their thoughts on separate pieces of paper; they only said a few mutters to themselves and nothing more. Katara was grateful for the quiet: it was bad enough already that he beat her. She didn't want to have to talk to him as well...

After about fifteen minutes, Zhao called up everyone, reading directly off of the lesson plan to show his obvious disinterest. "You will read your poem and then give analysis. Divide up the presentation any way you wish." Zhao turned his eyes to Katara and Aang, smiling. "Miss Kuruk and Mr. Gyatso. Would you mind going first?"

Frowning, Katara got up, grabbing her sheet of paper. Aang followed suit, though he didn't look nearly as mad. Katara tugged on the sleeve of his shirt so his ear was next to her mouth, whispering: "You read poem, I read summary. Got it?"

Aang nodded.

So he read the "Moses Supposes" poem like it was the most important piece of knowledge you could gain from this class. Katara rolled her eyes.

"Analysis?" Zhao asked dully.

Katara came forward, spending the shortest amount of time as she could on her summary: "Moses really needs to wake up already. The guy needs to stop dreaming and get on with life. Toes aren't flowers. End of story."

"_Enlightening_." Zhao said sweetly. "I'm sure we've all been measurably changed. But what I was _looking_ _for_ is the basic moral of the story." He smiled as Katara scowled. He expected them to get a moral out of a stupid poem about _feet_ and _flowers_? She was sure Zhao was planning on giving them a D at best. He seemed to have it in for her, didn't he? Of course, he had it in for_ everyone_.

Aang stepped in. "The moral of the story is this: Things aren't always what they seem..."

Katara stopped dead. _What did he just say_?

Zhao frowned. "Short. B-minus. Next."

Both of them walked back to their seats. When the bell rang, conveniently after everyone was done, Katara put her bag over her shoulder. _Things aren't always what they seem. _What in the world did he mean by that?

Exiting the classroom, she went off to her next period.

"Hey. Hey!" She recognized Aang's voice, and he walked up next to her. Katara blatantly ignored him.

"Thanks for being my partner." He told her gratefully.

"Whatever." Katara brushed it off.

"I can't believe I'm in your class."

"That makes two of us." Katara muttered under her breath.

"So, will I see you on Bear Mt. again?"

Stopping, Katara turned to face him. "What _is_ it with you? Are you here just to make me look _stupid_, or am I supposed to be getting a laugh out of this? Just leave me alone already, I got enough to cope with without you here."

She stormed off, leaving Aang feeling as though he simply couldn't win with her.

It shouldn't be this difficult for him to make friends. And yet... with his Uncle Gyatso moving around all the time, he was almost used to it: the feeling of loneliness. All the schools he had gone to, he had only stayed for one full year at a time, maximum. He wanted to be able to stay, but he couldn't.

Maybe there was no place like home. But for him, it seemed as though ever since he was orphaned, he never had a proper home to come home to.

And no one really knew him and no one remembered him.

As Katara made her way to her locker, without Toph to say hi, without her brother fed up with her, having just shoved off her now-arch-enemy, and with the whole school ignoring her...Katara felt lonely all over again. A hollow place.

Katara wanted to be seen exactly as she seemed: A snowboarder, and a strong girl. Yet after racing against Aang, Katara couldn't seem to identify with that as well as she used to.

Because Katara _wasn't _as strong as she wanted to seem, wasn't as strong as she wanted to believe...

And it _hurt._

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Please comment!

School needs to be done already. _I want out!_ (My school year ends June 11, btw)


	6. Will and Won't, Can and Can't

ACE here, with more Queen of the Slopes. Sorry this is Tuesday and not Monday like I promised, but since school's out for me, it should be pretty regular uploads now.  
I think this is a weird chapter..again.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar

* * *

**Queen of the Slopes  
Chapter Five:  
Will and Won't, Can and Can't**

Once again, Katara found herself at the top of Bear Mountain, staring down the Claw Trail hill. She was all alone— not many people showed up during the week, what with school, sports, clubs, and other priorities. Not Katara. She would almost always be the first to arrive and the last to leave. She could do her homework later...

Sighing, she placed her goggles over her eyes again. Her world became a bright orange, making it easier for her to see, albeit Katara didn't really know how or why. She wasn't about to ask though.

Flipping her board sideways, Katara started down the hill. She overshot her "shortcut" down the mountain, streaming down the usual well-carved trail. There was still quite a bit of powdered snow this afternoon, but it didn't slow her down by much. She wasn't noticeably affected, so she didn't care. Gliding over it easily, she gained momentum with every second. Her eyes, her mind, her entire body was intensely focused on the approaching curve in the land. It was about ten feet tall, she guessed, and she was only seconds away.

She_ had _to make this curve. Make this _curve _into a _jump_. She wouldn't slow down this time, she wouldn't just turn on a whim. She was_ no_t going to.

She nearing the bottom of the curve. Katara positioned herself.

_I won't turn._

She climbed it quickly; she was going to soar over the top.

_I won't, won't, won't!_

As she reached the very tip of the edge and was about to go over, something in the pit of her stomach clenched tightly. Katara could see the tips of those tall, tall pine trees, covered in snow and blocking her landing. She felt a glimmer of fear. Her stomach dropped.

_No..._

On instinct her body turned, curved into the shape and slope of the hill, and she barely jumped into the air. Her jump forced her back, away from going over the edge. Her spine twisted itself into a spin, her muscles readied themselves for the expected landing. The landing she didn't want.

_No, no, NO!_

She handled herself with ease, the muscles in her legs landing catlike onto the snow. She took no pride nor pleasure in it though: she had failed to go over the rim of the slope.

_Again_.

This was the second time Katara had come down Claw Trail hill today. The second time she had tried to mimic _his_ idea, follow _his_ particular trail down the mountain. And despite having gone over the edge of a cliff a mere week ago, she _still _couldn't do it!

"_Arrggh_!" Katara cried out in frustration, swiping her gloved fist at nothing in particular as she continued to slide down the long trail. She was too mad to try and do any tricks as she shot down the rest of the slope, hurrying as fast as possible. Daylight didn't last long in the winter, so she had to be quick. And this part of the trail was long enough as it was.

Taking time to give another roundhouse punch at the air, Katara made the curve easily, headed down another long stretch before she dipped into the main stretch. Glancing over to her left, Katara saw where she had joined the final part of the race.

The thought didn't make her feel any better.

Sliding to a stop at the bottom of the hill, Katara glared angrily back up the way she came. That accursed jump was going to drive her insane!

"Y'know, you really shouldn't try that..." Katara whipped her head around, her wild blue eyes settling on...Aang, leaning casually against the lodge, a mere twenty paces behind her. He continued seriously: "You'll hurt yourself."

She pulled her goggles up. "What are you doing here?" She spat the words at him.

"I've been watching you." He told her honestly. "And it's really not that worth it..."

"Oh, _excuse_ me!" Katara didn't dare go near him— she'd probably get thrown off Bear Mt. Ski Lodge for the number of injuries she could give him. "I'm not the one who was crazy enough to go off of that jump!"

"But crazy enough to try." Aang reminded her slowly.

"You know," Katara said, slowly sliding down the small slope to close the space between them, "you _really_ know how to ask for a beating..."

Quickly he raised his hands in defense: "Whoa, whoa, I didn't come here to fight." He told her seriously. He even dropped the pretense of being smooth, standing upright from the wall he had been leaning on. Katara slid to the side again, stopping her board less than ten feet away from him.

"Then why're you here?" She repeated.

"I just want to talk is all." He said.

"Well hurry up, I got stuff to do."

Aang laughed nervously. "Yeah, I bet." He said, eyeing her clenched gloves. "...I was just thinking that maybe we could board together..."

Flipping her board sideways again, Katara slid down the slope again towards Aang. He tensed up slightly as if her were ready to spring, but he didn't move. Something about her pensive stare glued Aang's feet to the snow. She slid right past him, giving him a glare that clearly said: _Over my dead body_. She slid on down to the chairlift.

Aang quickly bent down to strap his boots to his snowboard, and took off after her.

As he made his way down to her, Katara refused to look at him. He was trying to end up on the same chairlift again, she realized with pure annoyance. Go figure he wanted to be paired up again. But not unless she had anything to do with it.

Their turn came up, and Katara made as though she would go down to the slope to the chairlift. Aang slid down the lane to jump on. She didn't. Katara barely caught his confused backward glance at her just as the chairlift picked him up, and he was off. Taking this as her cue, Katara slid down for the next chair, and soon she was up as well.

Sighing in relief, Katara settled back in her chair, pleased that she wouldn't have to look at him.

Aang made quick work of that idea. Without a thought for his own safety, he turned completely around in his chair, looking back at her. Katara groaned; couldn't she get a single break from this guy?!

His chair made an uncomfortable lurch as he moved, and he swung around a little wildly, causing him to grip tighter onto the back of the chair, and Katara's stomach churned, though she'd never admit that she was worried for his safety.

"Are you_ trying _to kill yourself?!" She yelled out to him as they continued to move. He grinned back cheekily.

"No death wish here!" He called back down to her, his features turning serious. "What about you?"

Katara could not believe she was having a conversation with him when they were at least fifteen feet away, on different chairlifts, and _he_ was sitting precariously at that! His chair swung a little bit, and Katara tensed up again. How this guy could make her so nervous? But then again, Katara was usually afraid when people had seemingly suicidal ideas.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?!" She called out to him

"You can't make that jump!" He yelled back. "Don't try it!"

Katara slumped back into her seat. _Great_. So this guy was suddenly her personal _Safety Patrol_. She already had _plenty_ of that mind-frame from Sokka. Who was this guy to suddenly tell her what she could and couldn't do?

"Watch me!" Katara yelled out tauntingly to him. She didn't even care that a few snowboarders below them and on other chairlifts were looking at them. If this guy was anything like Sokka when it came to being protective, she expected some sort of speech from him any minute now.

He didn't deliver. Thank goodness.

Aang reached the drop-off at the top of the mountain and slid down with ease. Katara's chairlift came a few seconds later, and she too dismounted. Aang waited for her to make a move. She headed for Claw Trail again. He sighed, following her.

She stopped at the top of the trail, looking down briefly before placing the orange goggles over her eyes again. Aang paused beside her, and she could tell through her peripheral vision that he was there. She didn't let it bother her this time though, focusing on that curve far down the slope.

_Third time's the charm_, Katara thought. She could feel Aang's eyes upon her, pleading silently to her to stop. She didn't care. She'd show him.

Katara flipped her board sideways and was off.

She was quite certain that Aang was behind her, but Katara didn't bother to look back. Not this time: she was completely focused on her goal, which was getting over that jump. Over the whistling wind in her ears, she could barely hear Aang shout after her. It was too indistinct to make out the words, but she was almost certain that already, she knew what he would say— something along the lines of _Don't_.

This pressed her on even more.

The jump was coming ever-closer, yet again. She _would_ manage this jump. She could do it, she would! She was not going to be beaten.

Yet a niggling voice in her head told her she already was beat.

Twenty feet, she thought she could see something out of her peripherals... Ten feet, she could swear it was Aang beside her, racing her to the jump... Katara prepared herself, her body tensed up, ready to spring over the top. They were climbing the curve together, both about to soar into the air when—

_WHAM_!

Katara was smacked clean out of her path, sprawling to the side. She managed to flop to a pause in the snow without rolling down the hill. She sat up, spitting snow from her mouth and completely enraged.

What the heck had just _happened_?!

There was the sound of coughing from over the slope. Unbuckling her board, she stcuk it safely up in the snow so it wouldn't glide down, and she wouldn't have to walk down the rest of the way. Katara hurried up to see what was on the other side of the enormous curve.

Peering over the top, Katara looked down to find Aang, lying on his back in the deep snow and clutching his stomach as though he had been winded. He was gasping and coughing, and didn't even look up at her. It was obvious he wasn't going to move from the spot for a while.

"What, are you _insane_?!" Katara called out to him, certain he could hear her. "You could've _died_!"

Panting, Aang looked up at her, still winded. He wheezed.

Katara frowned down at him. "Well, are you happy now?!" She yelled down at him. "I didn't go over, big deal! Why the heck did you go over if I can't?"

He groaned aloud in pain.

Fuming, Katara threw her legs down over the curve and slid down to him. Clearly, he wouldn't be moving an awful lot on his own, and she didn't want his dead body on her conscience.

"You're a real idiot, a real jerk...you..._you_!" Katara told fiercely him, reaching out her hand to help him up. He had unbuckled his board, and grabbed her arm to heave himself up, one hand still clutched at his stomach. He remained silent, and for that Katara was grateful. He carried himself up the entire steep slope to get back on the track, Katara leading the way.

"Why the heck did you pull a stunt like that! You have some sort of crazy death-wish?" Katara grumbled at him. Aang said nothing, and she got annoyed, raising her voice louder. "Do you hear me? You almost got yourself _killed_!"

Still holding his stomach, he told her, "So did you."

Katara was inches away from pummeling him and sending him back over the curve.

"What the heck would make you even _try_ that earlier, if you _knew_ you were gonna be killed?!"

"...Got lucky."

Finally Katara gave him a right hook across his face, _hard_. He fell back down in the snow. If here was blood, she didn't see it spill.

Immediately she grabbed her board, buckled herself on, and slid down without another word, without a glance back at his crumpled body. But she thought about him and how he'd honestly tried to stop her from doing such a trick. _Serves him right, _Katara thought to herself. _He should know by now that he should never to get in my way..._

And she couldn't help but think that her mother would have been very disappointed in her.

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Please comment!

Ok, I still think it's a weird chapter, but I like it. Semi.


	7. Armistice

Because I've held this from you for long enough, I'll skip a lengthy intro.

Disclaimer; I don't own Avatar.

* * *

**Queen of the Slopes  
****Chapter Six:  
****Armistice**

It was odd, really, Katara thought as she walked into her first period the next day—a Tuesday. It was odd, because she couldn't help but look from him the instant she walked in. To see if maybe he had left school...maybe he'd take up homeschooling?

She _wished_.

Aang's face was in the room when she entered. Fortunately, unlike last time, he didn't have a swarm of admirers around him. Unfortunately (for her, at least) he was sitting in the back of the room. Near where she would usually sit.

_Great_. As if she didn't already feel angry —and guilty— enough.

Katara made sure to sit in the back, and yet as far away from him as possible. What an _oxymoron_. Oxymoron— she didn't use that word. Hmmm...so she _had_ been paying attention to their new vocabulary words? Mr. Zhao might even be pleased...that is, if he was _ever _pleased.

English passed along uneventfully enough, if you could call it that. For one, Mr. Zhao was annoyed once again, but that was to be expected. What she didn't expect was for Aang to be so..._quiet_.

Why was he quiet? In the short time she had known the hot-headed boy named Aang, he had _never_ been this quiet. He was stiff and tense and so very very quiet. Silent, unless spoken to, and that was _Zhao_ he had to answer to.

And Katara whispered to herself: _Did _I _do that to him...?_

She knew it was obviously true. She just couldn't believe it. Had she really thrown him off-track that much? _Yeesh_, it was only a simple...punch. One wicked right hook, actually. Well, he had deserved it, hadn't he? But she hated herself for it. She was _so upset _about it.

And what made her even _more_ upset was that she was upset about _him_!

There was one time Katara caught him looking at her. A mere flicker of the eyes. But that was all she needed to see: his face was anything but happy. Yet he didn't look the epitome of sadness or hurt either. He was solemn. This unnerved her more than anything.

Katara tried making eye contact again, just to figure out what exactly that look meant and what might possibly be going on behind those grey eyes. But somehow, _miraculously_, he found a sudden interest in paying attention to what was going on in class. With Mr. Zhao for a teacher, that feat alone was pretty hard to accomplish.

Simply put, Katara's entire school day was summed up to be this: be upset, rage an inner battle with herself, try to pay attention in class, eat, fret about how in the _world_ she was going to make it up to both her brother and her best friend, and try to pass through her classes.

It was a breath of fresh air when she finally got out of school. School was where you had to think. She didn't have to outside class. It was relief.

Immediately she packed up her stuff, grabbed her board out of her locker (she towed it everywhere) and ran to catch the school bus by 3:30. It passed by the foot of Bear Mountain, and even if she had to hike up the rest of the way, or (even worse) hitchhike with some _guy_, she was going to snowboard today.

She hiked up the hill.

It most certainly gave her time to think. What would she do on the slope today? Would she dare to go over the "jump" today? Just to spite him?..._Really_?

And his silent face remained in her mind all the way up the hill.

When she finally got to the actual top, and had made her way past the parking lot and to the Ski Lodge, she looked around. Maybe he would jump out of a corner and start lecturing her again? Fortunately for her, no smiling, orange-and-brown-suited boy popped up out of the snow. She hoped he wouldn't anytime soon.

And traveling up the chair lift, she began to think about that jump again. And him. And whether or not he seriously _meant _to help her. If he did, he was being a bit of a failure. Katara didn't really like people stepping on her.

Reaching the top, Katara stopped after she had hopped off of the lift. She could see her breath come off in soft little puffs as she looked at her options: Muzzle Trail, Claw Trail. In her mind, she kept on coming back to Claw Trail. But she knew what awaited her there: total agony over one simple curve. One single jump.

For a moment, she hesitated. Then slowly, her snowboard glided down to the top of Muzzle Trail. Placing her goggles over her eyes, she flipped her board and slid down.

And somehow, Katara found the slope ten times more enjoyable than riding down Claw Trail.

* * *

Nighttime sneaked in earlier during the dead of winter. So when Katara saw the twilight zone setting in, she quickly made it down the slope. She would have to find a ride, she supposed. It wouldn't be that bad.

Katara was feeling better than she had all week. She avoided the Claw Trail like the plague today, and enjoyed herself on ones that weren't nearly as taxing on her brain or even skills. She simply boarded, and felt content with doing just that.

_How very odd_. She mused, smiling.

Unfortunately, when she made it down to the parking lot, she was met with nothing but dirty snow. No cars occupied the area...except for one, very old, yellow-brown car at the end of the lot. Katara approached it cautiously; she had never seen that car before, and in a town of few people, you tended to at least _recognize _the cars of people who went skiing or snowboarding.

Before she could even get close enough to peer inside, the headlights flipped on and the passenger's door opened. A hand steadily placed it's weight on the door to heave themselves up, Katara backed away, heart thumping.

It was Aang.

"Are you cold?" He asked

Katara looked at him blankly over the roof of the little car.

"Do you need a ride home?"

Katara looked around the parking lot. It was still eerily quiet, and frightfully empty. Of _course_ she needed a ride home, but she had been hoping it was from someone she actually _knew_. Knew _well_, that is...

Slowly, she nodded, still somewhat intimidated.

"Well, you're not going to be getting any warmer out here." He gestured to the snow around them. "Come on inside," he told her, motioning with his hand. She noticed that, underneath the steady glare the headlights provided, he looked tired and somehow, much more mature than his age.

Glancing around again, Katara whispered, "Okay."

Katara heard a voice coming from inside. She presumed it was the driver. "Aang, be a gentleman and take her baggage."

Aang rolled his eyes. "Sure, Gyatso." Coming around the car, he made to take her board and backpack. She clutched them tighter.

"I'm perfectly capable." She argued.

He sighed, and once again Katara got the impression that he was very tired. "I don't think you have a choice..." He told her quietly, nodding towards the driver's door. Reluctantly, she handed over her backpack and prized board. The trunk popped, he placed them inside, shutting it tightly. Coming around to the passenger's side again, he opened the door and gestured for her to get in. Figuring it was pointless to argue, she came around and silently went inside the car. He shut it for her.

In the driver's seat was one very old man. He was balding, though his mustache was actually quite thick in itself. His hair was a perfect snow-white, as if he had taken hair-dyeing tips from Einstein himself. He seemed about as old as the dead scientist too... The old man smiled wide.

"I don't think we've been introduced." He said pleasantly, putting out his hand. "My name is Gyatso."

Hesitantly, she took his hand. "Katara." she replied, allowing him a brief smile.

"So, I'm supposed to bring you home." Gyatso said, still smiling warmly. She knew where Aang got his smile. "Where do you live?" Katara told him. Aang got in the backseats, shutting his door.

And they were off.

The ride was rather quiet, though Gyatso (she supposed he was Aang's grandfather, he was too old to be a dad..) made conversation, and he was easy enough to talk to.

"So how long have you been living here?" He asked.

"Since I was about one." Katara informed him. "Left, here." She told him.

He obliged. "Oh?"

"I was born in a different city, but then we moved here and I guess my parents liked what they saw." She explained. "You?"

"Oh, we travel around a lot." He replied. "I'm afraid my job requires it. It's not easy, but we get by fairly well. And having seen so many cities and landmarks isn't something that many people can be boastful about."

Katara nodded, peering into the rearview mirror to see Aang. He was staring at the window and the road outside, his face somewhat of a grimace. Her eyes flipped back to Gyatso as they continued small-talk:

"So, why were you up on the mountain?"

"Well, I don't do much skiing myself, I'm afraid I'm too old for that." Gyatso said. "But Aang insisted to come up here, and we had a nice dinner in the Ski Lodge."

"But why did you wait around do long?"

"Oh, Aang simply suspected that a girl might need a ride home." He looked briefly at her, while she glanced back at Aang through the mirror again. "I can only assume he meant you, but pardon me if I tell you that you are anything but a girl."

Katara smirked. "Would that make me a _boy_?"

"No. You are a beautiful young _lady, _not a girl, and most certainly not a boy." He smiled, and looking away from Aang, she returned his grin.

Eventually they lapsed into a quiet, radio music atmosphere as the car drove on.

She was almost nodding off in her seat when they pulled up into her familiar gravel-road driveway. Positioning herself upright again, she was ready to get out of the car.

"Thank you for the ride." Katara told Gyatso politely.

"Of course. You're most welcome." He said, adding with a chuckle. "It's not often that we get to take a such a lovely lady like yourself anywhere." Katara couldn't help but smile back at that.

Aang had already gotten out of the car and was fetching her bag and board from the trunk. Katara hopped out to help— take— her stuff away and hurry inside before she caught a cold.

"Um...." She said slowly, looking at him as he handed Katar her snowboard. "Thanks."

"Sure." He replied, taking her backpack and walking her up the front steps.

Katara peered closely at his face. "Is that..." she said, looking as the small markings of a swelling. "Are you okay?" The words rushed out of her.

"Well..." He said. "After you punched me, I slapped a good-size snowball over the whole left side of my _face_, strapped my snowboard back on, and slid down the hill to where I was able to get a pack of ice.

"Oh..." Katara breathed. At least she knew he was okay...in a sense.

They walked up onto her porch and reached her front door.

She stopped, turning to face him. "Aang, I really want to apologize. I've been so mean to you...It's just..." She inhaled; exhaled. "I'm sorry." She said quietly.

He nodded, putting out his hand. "Truce?"

Katara thought she could barely see the glimmer of a smile. She took his hand. "Truce." She replied.

Aang let go quickly and went back down her stairs. Katara got her house-keys out and unlocked the door, turning around just in time to see Aang as he got in with his elder and drove away.

While there were still so many questions left unanswered that night, Katara felt as though she could actually sleep on a clear conscience tonight.

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Please review!

So I'm just a downright #$%^&*!. I'm sorry. Good grief, am I ever! If you want reasons why I am, check out my LJ.

For those of you who don't know, Armistice means ceasefire or truce.


	8. Poker Night

_NOTE: This is where we start to go off-the-page from 109, "The Waterbending Scroll"._ _Thus, this is unofficially called _"PART TWO"

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar.

**

* * *

**

Queen of the Slopes  
**Chapter Seven:  
****Poker Night**

In the few days after their truce, Katara felt somewhat at peace with Aang. At least she wasn't raging mad at him any more. Things quieted down a bit, but her stomach was not entirely at ease.

Which meant it was time to finally apologize to her best friend and brother. Well, _re_-apologize to Toph, anyways... Early Friday morning, Katara waited at her freshman friend's locker. She showed up, and Katara began to spit it all out:

"Toph, I don't know if you're still mad at me or not—"

"Sheesh, Katara! It's freaking _7:50 A.M _on a Friday." Toph grumbled as if it was 4:00 in the morning, sluggishly dragging herself to a stop in front of her locker. Katara noticed that her friend had decided to come in what she was sure was Toph's pajama sweats, her hair still somewhat of a bed-head. "Gimme a sec..." In one fluid motion Toph opened her locker, grabbed an Energy drink, popped it open and chugged it down whole. Katara stared.

"Right..." Toph said, wiping her lips and chin on her sleeve.

"You know those aren't good for you, Toph." Katara said slowly, still wide-eyed at the ability to swallow a full sixteen-ounce drink in one breath. "They're _loaded _with sugar."

Already looking a little more chipper than before, Toph asked, "You time me?"

"_What_?"

"'Parently not..."

"You never cease to amaze me." Katara said, shaking her head in amusement.

"You're easily amazed, then." Toph countered. "And cut it out with the fancy-talk already. Sounds weird coming from the farmer girl."

Katara shook her head again. She missed hanging with Toph, even if it did come at her own expense. "So we're cool." Katara said, getting back to the original topic.

"Didn't we already talk about this?" Toph asked. "I feel like Deja Vu all over again."

"_Huh._..?"

"Yogi Berra, Sweetness, Yogi Berra." Toph said dismissively, grabbing her stuff from her locker.

"Oh..." Katara replied. "But is there any way I can make it up to you?"

Toph paused, about to grab her last book. Then taking it and slamming her locker shut, she turned to face the Junior and asked, "You and Sokka still play Poker on Fridays?"

"Yeah..."

"I'm in."

Katara smiled. "Sure."

Smirking, Toph flung her backpack over her shoulders again and began walking down the hallway to class, calling out, "I'll _whip_ you and Sokka _both_ at Texas Hold'em!" Katara laughed.

_Well_, Katara thought as she opened her own locker to get her books, _if we're gonna have Toph stay for Poker Night, guess I'd better tell Sokka..._ After grabbing her books and closing the locker door, she checked the time: 7:57— three minutes til class, and English was on the second floor and all the way on the North end of the School. Being on the far South side, Katara raced down the hall and up one flight of stairs English 201. _I'll hafta tell him at lunch,_ she thought.

She got to the class just as the clock chimed eight. The _English 201 _door was already closed. Opening it, she hoped Zhao wouldn't—

"You're late, Miss Kuruk," drawled a familiar voice. The instant she stepped in the room, everyone (all miraculously in their seats already) turned their eyes to face her. She didn't have time to see if a pair of grey eyes were amongst them before turning to face Mr. Zhao.

"It's _eight o'clock_, I'm on time!" Katara argued.

"You are supposed to be_ in your seat _at eight o'clock." Zhao reminded her. He held up a hand to stall any more arguments. "My class, my rules, Miss Kuruk. It is now..." (he checked the clock) "eight-o-one, now go get a tardy slip at the front desk." He showed her to the door.

Katara glared at him before swinging her head around and walking back down to the front desk.

* * *

Lunch time arrived, and Katara started her search for her brother. It wasn't hard— he was sitting at his usual table, doing the only thing he and Toph both specialized in: eating. Katara rolled her eyes at her brother's predictability and sat down at the table.

"Sokka?"

Mouth painted with food, her brother looked up at her, mumbled something unintelligible, and continued chewing.

"Great. So now I'm second to food." Katara said sarcastically.

"Ifshamattheropriorithee!" Sokka told her through his mouth of beef stew. Suddenly he gasped and coughed, grabbing some water to chug down. Shuddering, he wheezed. "Don't...ever...make me talk...full mouth..._again._"

"But I'm still second to food." Katara reminded him bluntly. Honestly, she was surprised. After all his years, she expected him to be a master at talking with his mouth full.

"It's a matter of priorities." Sokka said indignantly. "But what do you want?"

"I'm sorry." Katara said. Sokka waited. "For being a jerk..." She continued. He stared blankly back for a few moments.

"So whaddaya want _this_ time?" He asked her finally.

"Poker night. Just you, me and Toph."

Frowning, he replied, "Am I _allowed_ to invite a friend?" He asked it as though it was _she_ called the shots in their house. Katara didn't like that, especially coming from her big brother.

"Sokka, I really am _sorry_! Are you honestly still mad at me?"

He sighed. "No. I'm not. But will you just please give it a rest with the snowboarding? You make everyone miserable that way, and more so than others." He said it in the gentle, honest, firm tone that Katara recognized to be Sokka's, her big brother.

Despite the comment, she said, "Thanks."

"Right, yeah, I'm still inviting a friend." Sokka told her.

Katara smiled. "Sure," she replied, albeit quite certain that Sokka would probably be too focused on Suki to focus on the cards. Getting out of her seat, she went around to hug him briefly around the neck, before setting off to go find Toph at their lunch table.

* * *

When they arrived and parked in the gravel-road driveway, Katara and Toph both hopped out of the Bei Fong's truck. They had spent the afternoon together on Bear Mountain, and one of Toph's many chauffeur's had dropped off a Bei Fong truck in the parking lot, which Klatara had driven home.

"You go on, I gotta get my stuff outta the back." Katara told her.

"Don't need to tell _me_ twice," Replied Toph, rushing up the walkway to the door. "I'm _starved_!"

Rolling her eyes, Katara quickly unlocked and popped open the back of the truck, heaving her snowboard, boots, and backpack in her arms. She was basically wearing all the rest of her equipment; it was _winter_, after all... Katara slammed the back of the truck back up, locking it in place, and carried it all up the steps.

Unfortunately, she'd have to put them all down just to open the door. Katara fiddled around pointlessly, trying to switch her boots to her left hand (which was already occupied by a snowboard). Finally she just shouted, "Hey, somebody! Open the _door_!!"

The door opened. Katara backed down a few steps, almost tripping in the process of getting out of the door's way.

Aang stepped out of her house.

Katara stared. For his own part, Aang seemed just as surprised as she was. All of their past animosity seemed to run flush back into her face. A strange sense of role-reversal entered Katara's mind: why on earth was _he_ opening the door and _she_ on the front steps? What the heck was he even _doing _at her house, anyway?!

"Oh," Aang said, still rather wide-eyed. "I didn't know you lived here."

"_Didn't_ know I... what the_ heck_?! But you've even been here before! How'd you get here? Who invited you?"

"Sokka." He said simply, taking her boots and backpack. He avoided taking her board, knowing she wouldn't let him have it anyways. "I didn't know you two lived together." He shrugged briefly before turning to take her stuff inside.

Katara stood stock-still on the front steps a little longer, before rushing in after him.

"How do you even _know_ Sokka?" She asked, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Someone say _my_ name?" Sokka asked, entering the room. He grinned smugly, as though you would find the name "Sokka" on Hollywood Boulevard down the Walk of Fame.

Katara ran over to him, and it was obvious she was anything but impressed. "You, me, upstairs, _now_." Her voice of authority was on, and for a moment she sounded so much like their mother that Sokka didn't try to argue, and instead obediently started up the stairs. Katara followed.

Slamming the door of their spare room shut, Katara didn't hesitate: "What's he doing here? Why did you invite him over? And how do you two even _know_ each other?" She yelled.

"Suki couldn't come, so I thought he'd be alright." She opened her mouth, but he held up a hand to stop her. "We met at the Ski Lodge while you were on a tirade to kill yourself. From what it sounded like, we had something _in common_." Katara didn't ask what that would be, though she was pretty sure it had to do with her and snowboarding.

She lowered her voice to a whisper: "So why doesn't he know we're related?"

"He never asked."

"So when you invited him over, you forgot to mention, 'Oh, by the way, I have a sister and her name's Katara—"

"And she's a psychopath?"Sokka added. Katara fumed.

"Look," said Sokka, "You told me you'd drop this snowboard serial killer-mood. Why can't you just let it go?"

"I _can _and I _have_, but it doesn't really _help_ when he pops up in my _house_!"

"It's just _cards_, Katara. Get over yourself." He opened the door again. "I'm going back downstairs."

Seething, Katara grabbed his shoulder. "Sokka?" He turned his head. "Just..._warn _me next time, will ya?"

Sokka nodded, and both went downstairs.

Toph was already making herself at home in the kitchen, where she slapped together a sandwich. "Good thing about the Kuruk house is..." She told Aang over the kitchen counter, taking a formidably large bite out of her snack. "The _food_ _supply_." She said through a mouthful.

Aang grinned. "Apparently."

"Hey, that's _my_ food you're stealing!" Sokka said, reaching over the counter as he tried to snatch the sandwich out of her hands.

"I haven't eaten anything since _lunch_!"Toph argued, still chewing.

"Well," Sokka said thoughtfully, hand paused in midair, "it _is _Katara's night to make dinner." He looked meaningfully over at his sister.

Katara sighed in defeat. "What'll it be?"

Easing himself off of the counter—he was almost on top of it from trying to snatch Toph's sandwich—Sokka put a hand to his chin, pondering whilst stroking his stomach. "I feel like _burritos_. And nachos. With homemade chili. And rolls. And maybe a banana smoothie. "Ooh!" Sokka exclaimed, "With _churros_!" He rubbed his hands deviously together.

Katara blinked. "One order of Cup o'Noodles, coming up!"

Sokka frowned, but took the soup anyways.

"So what card game are we playing?" Sokka asked at their card table, situated in the living room, near the fireplace. "We got four people, so we could actually play Cash or Pinochle..."

"What?!" Toph exclaimed. "Those aren't Poker! Where's the gambling? The money? The _risk_?"

"I don't know either of those games..." Aang confessed. "And I don't have any money on me either..."

"Hmmm..." Sokka said. "Well, Pinochle's a little harder to learn than Cash, so I guess that's our game." He and Toph simultaneously looked at each other. "I call Toph!"

"Sokka!"

"_Hey_!" Katara exclaimed. "It should be boys versus girls. It always is."

"Sorry Katara," Toph said, "You get stuck with the newb!" She turned to Aang, who shrugged.

"Fine." Katara consented. "We'll play a few hands like that, then it's me and Toph versus you two."

"Done." Sokka said. "That way, Aang won't be so much a newbie!" He picked up a 52 deck and began to shuffle, explaining the rules: "Everybody gets four cards. The goal is to get four-of-a-kind— four sevens, four Aces, you know." Aang nodded as Sokka shuffled bridge-style.

"The Dealer..." Sokka straightened up a bit, "Starts the game by putting four cards down. They're up for grabs for anybody. Gotta be quick. You take a card on the table and switch it with one you don't need.. If four cards are on the table and nobody is taking them anymore, the dealer rakes 'em in and puts out another four.

"When you get four-of-a-kind, you signal your partner," he nodded towards Katara. "Who calls 'Cash' on you for a point." Sokka looked back to Aang. "Only your partner can call cash, you can't call it for yourself. You come up with a signal in the beginning of the game..." Sokka cut the deck for Toph. "If either me or Toph think you have cash, we can call 'Cut Cash' on you, and if you have Cash we get a point. If you don't, we lose a point. Easy enough, see?" He began to deal out four cards to each of them.

"Yeahhhh..." Aang said slowly, and Katara was quite sure she was doomed.

"Right, now, partners discuss signals." Sokka and Toph proceeded to get up and leave. Katara began to as well, and Aang followed suit. Sokka and Toph had run upstairs, so Aang and Katara simply went to the kitchen.

"So what's our signal?" Aang asked.

"I don't know. I doubt you could do me and Toph's signal..." Katara said slowly.

"How about a wave?" Suggested Aang.

"Duh. Too _obvious_." Katara said, frowning at him. "You need something simple, something that wouldn't be noticed..."

"Okay..." Aang said. "How about licking your lips?"

Katara considered it for a moment. "Sure...I _guess_ that'd work..."

Satisfied with her reply, Aang smiled, turned around, and was about to go back into the living room when Katara caught him.

"Keep your eyes on me." She whispered to him. Aang paused before smiling at her, as if he knew something she didn't. He nodded before continued walking up to the card table. Katara followed suit.

Sokka and Toph were already situated at their spots: across from each other. Katara and Aang filled up the other two, picking up their cards.

"Right!" Sokka said, an extra four cards in his right hand, picked up directly from the deck. "Let's go!" He threw the cards on the table—Jack, Seven, Four, Nine— and Sokka, Toph, and Katara instantly grabbed at them. Aang was a bit slower on the uptake. Katara noticed, and sighed._ Great_.

A little time went by, hands frantically grabbing for the necessary card. Aang was picking up the pace, though he still wasn't as fast as the others, particularly Toph: she was always good at cards.

Katara was examining her cards—three-of-a-kind, so far. She only needed one more. Suddenly something in her perephrial vision caught her eye. She looked up to see... Aang waving at her like an idiot.

"Katara!" He exclaimed, and Katara paused, wondering if he had forgotten their code already, or maybe he was just excited to finally have Cash? She hesitated just a little too long, for Sokka shouted "Cut Cash" before she could even take a breath.

"I want a new partner!" She said, throwing down the cards. Why hadn't the idiot done the signal like he was supposed to?

"No new partners!"Sokka said gleefully.

"Then I need to have a _talk_ with my partner..." Katara growled.

"Only one chat, and that's at the beginning of the game to come up with a signal!" Sokka reminded her. "Sorry, sis!" Katara folded her arms across her chest, glaring daggers at Aang.

"What?" He asked.

"We just lost a point, smart one!" Katara told him.

"No we didn't..." Aang said. "I don't have cash!" He lay his cards down, revealing three Queens and a five—only three-of-a-kind.

"Darn it!" Sokka exclaimed, erasing the point under the label "Good Guys" and replacing a tally under the "Bad Guys" team. "Bad Guys: one, Good Guys: nothing." he grumbled

"I _knew_ it was too easy." Toph muttered. "You suck."

Katara simply looked over at Aang. Apparently, he wasn't letting on how good he was. Still, he was just a newb.

One hand later, in a blinding speed of only the starting four cards, Aang licked his lips. At first, Katara didn't know if he was faking it again. But his grey eyes looked seriously at her, and she called, "Cash!"

Aang lay down his cards: four Aces.

"No fair!" Sokka said, marking another tally under the "Bad Guys" team. "Why does Katara get to have Aang on her team?"

Toph kicked Sokka in the shin, causing him to yelp in surprise. "Watch it, bub." She said menacingly, holding a fist up as she threw in her hand.

Katara glanced back at Aang, his easy, almost devil-may-care grin catching. _How was he doing it?_ She wondered. He noticed her stare, and shrugged his shoulders a little at her, as if to say: _I don't know how I'm doing it either, but it sure does pay!_

Toph stepped up her game a bit, not about to be outright beaten by a newb. Unlike Katara's match against Aang in snowboarding, Toph was granted quite a bit of success. It was enough to give the newcomer a decent challenge, even a good thrashing now and then, which she didn't hesitate to flaunt.

Still, Aang constantly kept the game interesting. Katara noticed that he always seemed to change pace: sometimes, he would constantly switch the cards that he was picking up, as if he suffered from violent mood swings. Katara had a hard time of keeping track, but it served the dual purpose of throwing Sokka and Toph off of his trail as well. A few times, he simply watched what Katara, Toph and Sokka would do, noticing what cards they were picking up and mainly staying on the sidelines. If Katara was picking up threes, Aang would pick one up before casually tossing it right to her. If Sokka was raking in the eights, Aang would take count before giving him the last one and calling "Cut Cash" on him.

They were so far into the game that they barely noticed when a honk came from outside. Gran-Gran came into the kitchen just as Katara called "Cash" on Aang again.

"There's a man here looking for Aang?" Gran-Gran asked.

"That's me!" Aang said as he got out of his chair, throwing down his hand. Four sevens.

"Drat!" Sokka said, adding yet another point to the "Bad Guys" chart. There were roughly twenty-five tallies on there now, with the "Good Guys" trailing by about five.

"See ya, Aang." Toph said, smirking at him. "I'll still whip you at Texas Hold'em."

"Probably," Aang replied, grinning.

"Bye, little bud." Sokka told him. "And for the record, I was going easy on you!"

Aang's smile grew even wider. "Bye Sokka, Toph, Katara!"

They waved. Katara watched him go and open their front door before adding her own farewell: "Bye, Aang." Aang turned around briefly, and it hit Katara that they had forgotten to switch partners.

He simply smiled, waved, and left.

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Please comment!

I'm sorry this took awhile. I've been struggling with staying focused, because...well, it's the recession, what do you expect? And I can't stay focused when I'm so busy worryign about other stuff. See my LJ if you want the full story...


	9. Propostition

THIS TOOK SO LONG THAT I WON'T WASTE TIME.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar.

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**Queen of the Slopes  
Chapter Eight:  
Proposition**

Katara raced up the staircase in a flurry, hair whipping around her face, shoelaces still untied. _Stupid Sokka, didn't his alarm clock work_? Bursting through the door on level two, she raced down to room 201, not caring if she was caught by a Hall Monitor or some other numbskull. She just didn't want to have to face—

Zhao was holding the door open.

"I took the liberty of waiting for you Miss Kuruk." He said, smirking. "But you seem to be too preoccupied with breaking other school rules. Go get a pink slip for running in the hallway." He glanced up at the clock in the hall. "Pity," he said, turning back to face her again, "you were _almost_ on time."

Scowling, Katara walked back down the stairs again. She hoped this wouldn't be her third pink slip, otherwise it was a detention.

Looking down the long hallway, Katara saw a familiar face walk up the front. Aang was at the front desk too. She took it in stride. As far as she was concerned, their truce was the end of their relationship altogether, Poker Night or no. She just hoped Sokka wouldn't make a habit of inviting him.

"Late too?" He asked as she arrived. She jerked her head in a nod. "Didn't think you the type to be late." He told her, a smile lingering at his lips.

"What type am I then?" She asked, turning to Joo Dee—the school's secretary— for a pink slip.

"Goody-two-shoes, I guess..." He shrugged.

"Well," Inserted a familiar voice from directly behind Katara. "Not _quite_..."

Katara whipped around to find Jet standing behind her, holding a mug of coffee on a tray.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Katara asked through her teeth, grinding them hard against each other.

Jet ignored her, and instead offered his tray to the Secretary. "Coffee, Joo Dee?"

"I thought you were expelled." Katara asked, refusing to be ignored.

"_Was_. I'm earning my hours." He turned back to her, smirking devilishly.

Katara sniffed. "How'd you pull _that _one off?"

His smug face curled even wider, if that was possible. "_You know how_..." He whispered. Katara shivered slightly, and Jet looked proud at still being able to have that affect on her. He turned to Aang. "She's no Goody-Two-Shoes, but I'd _definitely_ describe her as good. _Better_, even..." He smirked at Aang as if he knew secrets he didn't, leaving the freshman wide-eyed as ever.

"Shut up, Jet." Katara whispered back, seething at all his suggestive comments. They just made her insides curl. Worse, Aang was here to see it all. She wasn't so much worried about ruining the freshman boy's innocence as revealing her relationship with Jet to him. And judging from the look on Aang's face, Jet had managed to do both.

"Miss Kuruk?" Katara turned at the sound of her name. Joo Dee's voice was as annoying as a Telephone Operator's, if not _worse_: "This is your third pink slip. I'm sorry, but you will have to attend an hour-long detention with your Home Room Teacher after school today." Katara cursed underneath her breath, and Jet chuckled.

Katara snatched the pink slip out of Joo Dee's hand, who was still wearing that stupid smile, "Thank you, and have a nice day!" She waved goodbye rather like the Homecoming Queen would wave at a parade.

Aang already had his, and was simply waiting for Katara. She rolled her eyes and walked towards class with him.

"See ya, Katara." Jet's voice slithered down the hallway to her and Aang's ears.

_In your dreams_, Katara thought. _The wet kind..._ she added subconsciously, and mentally kicked herself for it.

Aang coughed. Katara whipped her face over to him, hair almost smacking him across his face. "What's _your_ problem?" She asked.

"Nothing, nothing..." He told her, hands behind his head. "So, you and he...?"

"Are done." Katara cut him off as quickly as possible, now stomping off to class. Aang nodded.

"So then, what he said about you...?"

A blush crept up her face amazingly fast, her eyes widened before she was able to recover: "What are you_ implying_?" She asked, glaring daggers at him.

"That's a no, then."

"_Definitely_ a _no_!!" Katara almost shrieked at him. Aang turned away to whistle. "Not that it's any of _your_ business!" She reminded him bitterly. Aang kept on whistling, which annoyed Katara even more.

"So why were _you_ late?" She asked.

Aang didn't answer, but instead dropped his arms, and stopped whistling. Satisfied, Katara watched his reaction. So he _did_ have a weak point. He kicked the floor, muttering something. Katara thought she could barely make out: "_Junk car_..."

They remained quiet all the way up to class.

* * *

Toph and Katara came down from the mountain on their last ride down the slope. They had spent the after-school hours—or rather, after-detention hours, Toph's crime being "Inappropriate Dress" after wearing PJ's twice— together. For both their sake's, they strained to avoid Claw Trail. Still, Katara gritted her teeth every time they went past it.

Two of Toph's "chauffeurs" had dropped off a truck at the mountain's parking lot, where Toph reluctantly handed over the keys to Katara.

"_I_ should be the one _driving_..." She muttered as the keys rattled their way into Katara's palm. "Since it is _my car_..."

"That's gotta be one of the top ten _Ways to Get Yourself Killed_." Katara replied, unlocking the truck. "And why does everyone hate my driving _anyways_? I got the license, didn't I?"

"It was _rigged_, Katara! _Everybody_ knows that!" Toph said, climbing into the passenger's side of her truck.

"What do you mean, _'rigged'_?" Katara asked suspiciously, inserting the keys into the ignition.

"It was Pakku that tested you, right?"

"Riiiight..." Katara told her, turning the keys and revving the engine.

"Well, there you go then!" Toph said, as if this proved her point.

"Wait, but what does _that_ have to do with anything?" Katara replied indignantly, frowning at her before looking in her rearview mirror to back out of their parking space.

"Isn't it obvious?" Toph asked, and Katara narrowed her eyes at her. Toph sighed, "Pakku gave you the license 'cuz you're his old Granny Sugar Queen's granddaughter."

The truck jolted to a halt. "_What?!_" Katara exclaimed. "Are you _kidding_ me? He's one of the _toughest_—"

"Bull." Toph cut her off. "He gave you the license 'cuz of your old Gran-Gran."

"He barely let me _pass,_ Toph!" Katara told her, and the car started to move forward again and out the parking lot.

"Hey, the only other option is—"

"I don't wanna know!" Katara cut her off in a louder-than-necessary tone, flipping to one of her favorite radio stations and turning up the volume. Toph smirked, but said nothing more on the subject all the way down to the Kuruk house.

Both jumped out of the sleek black truck, Katara going 'round back to fetch her stuff calling out to Toph, "Hey, would ya hold the door open for me this time?"

"Only if you run." Toph said, walking through the snow and up to the front door.

Rolling her eyes, Katara made a dash to get her board and boots out, jogging after Toph. "Some friend you are!" She called out as Toph opened and closed the door again. Katara slowed to a walk.

Suddenly, the front door opened again, as Sokka burst out of it, jumping down the fronts steps and sliding into the snow. He yelled out to his sister: "Wait wait, _wait_—!"He slipped. There was a muffled _crunch_ of snow as Sokka fell on his backside. Katara set down her stuff before running over to him.

"What is it? What happened? Are you okay?" She asked, kneeling down to him.

Putting his hand on her shoulder, he looked up at her and said, "I needed to warn you..."

"Huh? About what?"

"Aang's in the house." Sokka told her. Picking himself up off the ground, cold wet snow still plastered to his backside, he said, smiling in a satisfied way: "Now I've officially given you fair warning. I rest my case." And with that, he headed back off to the house to change clothes.

Once Katara finally found and expression to actually express, she narrowed her eyes and shouted "I meant _ahead_ of time! Not _two seconds _before I walk into the house!!"

Sokka simply went to the door, not bothering to close it. She assumed it was for her sake, and quickly got up, grabbed her stuff, and made her way inside, being sure to wipe her feet on the Happy little "Welcome Home" mat, which had long since lost it's appeal.

Sure enough, Aang was inside, sitting on the living room couch, watching a football game. As Sokka went upstairs to his room, he called down: "Can you believe it, Katara? Aang doesn't know about _football_!"

Aang whipped his head to frown at Sokka, yelling, "I have too seen football before!" But then he caught sight of Katara looking at him and flipped back to face her. He grinned sheepishly up at her.

"Well..." he said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "I've just never seen it on TV."

"Why not?" Katara asked. She was just curious. Football was huge in this town. Which, she realized, he had only just arrived in.

"Never had time." He said quickly. She felt that he might be lying, but kept to herself.

Katara left the room to put her equipment in the back, where she was greeted by Gran-Gran.

"Oh, Katara dearie," she said, "did you wipe your feet?"

"Yes, Gran-Gran." Katara responded, giving her a hug.

"Have you met that boy yet, Katara?" She asked.

Katara's smile faltered for an instant. "Yes." She grimaced a fake smile.

"Oh, that's right, you met him a few days ago, I remember now." She told her, walking towards the kitchen. "Well, he does seem like a nice boy, and I've met his foster-father. Very nice man." She made a scrutinizing look at Katara as she walked around the counter. "What do_ you_ think of him?"

She made a quick save: "Too early to tell." Shrugging, she turned to put her stuff away and change into jeans and her favorite long-sleeved, plain white shirt..

Walking back into the living room, Katara found Toph now situated on the couch next to Aang, watching TV and cheering and booing and loudly commentating for one of the teams in typical Toph fashion. She turned to Aang, curious as to why he wasn't doing the same.

"You not rooting for nobody?" She asked bluntly.

Aang shook his head. "You?"

"What? You mean you can't _tell_? I've only been shouting their name for the past _minute_!"

Aang slouched a little in his seat. "It was kinda hard to tell." He said. She punched him hard in the arm—_hard_, as Aang rubbed it afterwards—before turning back to the game.

Sokka came down the stairs again, asking Toph: "So who's winning?"

"Well, lets put it this way..." Toph said, "Your team _blows_. _Hard_. Like, 27-6 hard."

"Oh, come on guys, get back in it!"Sokka said, sitting down what used to be their Grandpa's chair. Dad's La-Z-Boy remained in the corner, untouched, and Mom's rocking chair was hidden away up in the far corner of the attic.

Aang got up, already bored with watching, probably because he had no team to root for. Katara took his place beside Toph, even if he was probably going to get a glass of water and come right back. He could sit somewhere else. Truce or no, He wasn't welcome to her.

After a few commercial breaks however, Katara was wondering where he had gotten to. She looked out the somewhat icy window, only to see the small figure of Aang walking down their long gravel road, stretching nearly three miles across flat straight farmland, currently covered in a blanket of snow. She glanced at Toph and Sokka, to see if they saw him as well. They were too immersed in the game to notice.

Katara got up and left, walking over to get her coat. As she passed by the kitchen, she asked Gran-Gran if she knew what Aang was doing.

"Oh, he just said he needed a quiet place to think," She replied, "and I told him a walk on the road was always pleasant. Nothing out there but a couple cows and a road that nobody drives on."

"Thanks, Gran-Gran." Katara said, and went to grab her coat.

Getting out through the side door, Katara shoved her arm through one of the sleeves of her coat, calling out "Hey!" to Aang. He was already a good distance down the road. She was surprised to hear her own voice; it seemed almost too loud for the deafening quiet that surrounded her.

Aang turned at the sound, and Katara took the chance to run down and catch up with him. He waited politely, hands in the front pockets of his brown hoodie.

"Hey," she said again, huffing a little bit, her breath coming out in warm misty puffs in the cold air. Then she looked down at his clothing choice: a sweater and jeans, nothing more. "Aren't you cold?"

He shrugged. "Nah."

"What are you doing out here?"

Aang started to walk again, and Katara walked beside him. "Eh, felt like a walk. You?"

"I don't support either of those teams."

"So you came out here instead."

"Hey, you wanna freeze, go ahead." Katara told him. She didn't stop though.

They continued to walk down the gravel road, snow and rocks crunching beneath their feet. It was so quiet, neither really felt like breaking the silence. A big brown cow just off to the right, spotting them with her doe eyes, broke it for them.

Aang stopped, laughing a little bit. He turned and headed towards the female. "Whatcha doin' out here, huh girl?" He said, stopping at the barbed wire fence. "Aren't you cold?" He asked it, repeating Katara's exact words.

The cow gave another loud _mooooooo_ in reply.

"Yeah, me neither." Aang said. "Don't you have some sorta shelter though?"

The cow said nothing.

"Hmm..." Aang said, "Who do you belong to?"

"That's a Hostetter's." Katara said, feeling as though she was being replaced by a cow. "Strange that she's out here though." She said quietly, looking at the big brown cow.

"Where's the Hostetter's place?" Aang asked.

Katara pointed to a barn, only one mile down the road.

"Reckon we can bring her back?"

"How?" Katara replied. "We can't exactly put a leash on her and drag her there..."

"Don't worry bout that," Aang said, walking down along the fence. "She looks pretty smart. She'll just come, I bet." He said confidently.

Sure enough, after they had walked for about thirty paces, the cow slowly moved it's hoofs after them, keeping at her own pace.

"Atta girl!" Aang called out to her, laughing.

They kept walking for a little while, Katara looking over her shoulder every now and then to see if the cow was still following them. After three or four times, Aang said: "You can stop doing that. She's still following. Pretty smart cow." Katara looked back one more time, then stopped.

When they were nearly there, Aang asked her something: "Why don't you like me?"

Katara stopped, staring at him. "Just 'cuz we're not fighting anymore doesn't mean I like you."

"But why not? Sokka and Toph seem to..."

"That's them." Katara replied, frowning.

"Why can't we be friends though?"

"'Cuz it sure won't change that Saturday." Katara told him, adding as an afterthought: "Or a few days ago."

"You weren't thinking a few days ago." Aang told her honestly and seriously. "I didn't want your blood on my hands."

"Wow,_ that's_ it?" Katara asked scathingly. "I'm _flattered_."

Aang remained silent, thinking of a response. Katara started walking again, her conversation with Jet still clear in her mind. Aang stayed rooted to the spot. Soon, the cow came up to him, and stopped as well.

"Katara!" He called out to her suddenly, and she almost jumped out of her skin. Too loud out here in the quiet.

"What if I teach you?" He called out, now running up to her.

"What?" Katara said blankly.

"If I teach you how to get past that jump..." Aang said, "Will you at least be nice to me?"

Katara narrowed her eyes, as if he was about to say "Jinx! Got'cha!" any second. He didn't.

"Just think about it?" Aang asked. Katara said nothing, but started walking again. Aang followed suit, and eventually the cow did too.

When they arrived at the Hostetter's, they still hadn't said anything else to each other. Both were in deep thought, and kept to themselves. Katara knocked on their door. Mrs. Hostetter opened it.

"Katara?" She said, surprised, "What are you doing out here in the cold?"

"Found one of yours out in the field. Brought it back to ya."

Mrs. Hostetter peered down at Aang, then back to Katara. "Sorry darlin', that boy ain't one of mine. Though he certainly has our good looks!"

Katara blushed. "No, no, Mrs. Hostetter, we found one of your_ cows_. She's right outside the barn, probably cold."

"Oh, that girl! Lemme guess, big, brown?"

"That's her." Aang said, feeling slightly smug at her compliment.

"Well thanks so much, dearest. How in the _world_ she got out, I'll never know..." She looked down at Aang again, and seemed to be in agreement with Katara.

"You kids shouldn't be out dressed like that. You'll catch cold. Want some hotch?"

"_Hotch_?"Aang repeated.

"Hot chocolate." Katara explained.

"Okay, well, I'd love some!" Aang replied eagerly. Katara smiled up at Mrs. Hostetter, memories of Katara trying to be a big kid like her brother and say "hot chocolate". All that came out was: "hotch." The phrase stuck.

"Sure."

"You kids wait right here, I'll go fetch some mugs, and you can drink it on your way back." She came back, holding two mugs, one with a snow man, the other with a reindeer. Aang requested the reindeer one. Katara didn't care.

"Just remember to give me back my mugs, and thanks again!" She waved good bye before closing the door.

"Nice lady." Aang commented, taking a long sip out of his mug. "Mmm, marshmallows!"

"Yeah, she is..." Katara said slowly, taking a sip out of her own. "Our family used to hang out at their place a lot."

"Why don't you anymore?" Aang asked. "She gives free cocoa!"

Katara didn't answer.

They walked back, and although the wind was starting to whip around them, they remained quite warm during the mile back. It was some good "_hotch"_.

Katara looked over at Aang, who was fishing the marshmallows out of the bottom of his mug with his tongue. At least, that's what it_ looked_ like...

Again, she was struck by just how odd it was that this kid beat her. He didn't look as big or tough or smooth as...well, _Jet_. And he wanted to be her friend. Just friend.

_How to get past that jump..._ Katara whispered quietly into her mug. She admitted it to herself: she was curious. She wanted to know what his big "secret" was. What he was hiding...

And, she realized with a sigh, that was what convinced her. Curiosity_ alone_.

Sometimes, Katara really despised her weak points.

So, far removed from Toph and her big brother's eyes, Katara told him:

"Okay."

Aang looked at her, not sure at what she was talking about. Katara was facing determinedly down at the snowy gravel road. They kept walking for quite some time before it seemed to dawn upon him what she was talking about. He smiled, looking blissfully happy, more than she thought he should be. She could swear there was almost a skip in his step.

They walked up to the front porch, wiping their shoes avidly on the "Welcome Home" mat. Aang leaned over to whisper in her ear, warm breath tickling it.

"Saturday."

Aang opened the door, and Katara walked inside.

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Please comment!

I won't even SAY why this took so long. But long story short, wasn't exactly a happy time. Better now. I have Ellie and cousins to thank for that. That's why the "hotch".  
Isn't it funny how I'm writing a fanfic happening in Winter when it's Summer/Autumn?


	10. Secrets and Surprises

BWAHAHA! READ ON!

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar.

* * *

**Queen of the Slopes  
Chapter Nine:  
Secrets and Surprises**

Blue eyes snapped open to the surrounding darkness of her bedroom. She felt as though she was supposed to be up for a reason, but her sleep-fogged brain wasn't functioning yet. Katara lay in pure silence, uttering nothing except her even breathing as she stared at the ceiling. Putting her hands behind her head, she couldn't help but feel as though she was supposed to be up.

On Christmas day, Katara would always wake up earlier than anyone. She would rush over to Sokka's bedroom, still in her little blue nightgown that Mommy had bought for her. She was always so excited for Christmas morning that she couldn't sleep. She would wake up hours before anyone else.

Katara supposed that was it: she was excited. But lying there on her back, still staring up at the ceiling, she couldn't figure out _why_.

Turning her head to the left, she glanced at her red alarm clock, situated on top of her small bedside table. Six-fifteen.

She turned back to face the ceiling, and felt excitement creep up on her. A smile slowly spread across her face, and she couldn't stop grinning. Because her brain had started working again, and she knew why she was excited:

It was Saturday, and Aang was going to teach her.

Feeling wide awake, Katara threw aside the covers, making her way to the window. Through the dim light of their outside window, she could barely make out snowflakes glittering down to rest in the white blanket. Her feet were growing cold fast, so sliding them into some fluffy slippers, she headed downstairs to make some hotch.

* * *

It was nine o'clock, and Aang wasn't here yet. Katara had all of her gear packed and ready to go, her snowpants and shoes on, her coat hanging by the front door.

They had decided that Gyatso and Aang should pick her up at the Kuruk house. Sokka was going to hang out with Suki and had no interest in going up to Bear Mt., and Toph thought it sinful to wake up so early on the weekend. That cancelled out her only other options for a car ride up to the Ski Lodge. So Katara reluctantly took Aang up on his offer.

Katara sat on Grandpa's old easy chair, looking outside for any sign of a battered old yellow car. None yet. The snow had stopped, and the sun was rising, so visibility wasn't a problem. Katara stared at the long, straight gravel road, reminiscing on who walked down it only a few days back.

In the distance, Katara barely saw a dust-cloud following a tiny speck. _There they are... _Katara thought. It would be a few minutes until they actually reached her driveway, so she stayed put in the chair. It felt safe, secure. Everything that she really didn't feel when she was around Aang. He was too unpredictable for her liking.

The last guy she met that was unpredictable, she had fancied herself in love with him. But Jet turned out to be a mistake. That wouldn't happen here.

Two minutes later, the old car revved up her driveway, and Katara heaved herself out of the very comfy chair and grabbed her stuff. Opening the front door, Katara glanced back to make sure the note she had left for her Gran-Gran was still on the kitchen counter. It was. Katara walked outside into the fresh snow, leaning her board up against her so she could close the door behind her.

Aang bounded up her walkway, picking up all her gear (excepting her blue snowboard) and bringing it back to the car. Katara followed him. Looking over his shoulder, he grinned at her, and she gave a quick smile back. His excitement was contagious.

After shoving her stuff into the trunk, he graciously opened the front door for her again, still grinning. She stepped inside.

"Good morning, Katara." said Gyatso, a smile visible underneath his thick white mustache. "You're looking bright and cheery this morning."

She faltered, but replied "Thanks."

"All set, Gyatso!" Aang said, ducking into the back seat of the car.

"Then off we go!" Gyatso revved the engine into start. The car shuddered for a bit, sputtered, then stopped altogether.

Aang sighed, placing the heels of his hands into his face. Katara just looked back at Aang, who groaned. It was odd how all the sunny smiles could evaporate out of his face. She looked concernedly at him.

"Aang?" Gyatso said firmly.

"I'm on it,"Aang replied, exiting the car. He went outside and to the back to roll-start the car.

"Katara," Gyatso said slowly... "I'm sorry, but would you mind stepping out of the car? It would make it easier on Aang..."

"Sure, I'll help." Katara said, opening the door.

"Oh, no, you don't have to."

"It's alright." Katara said firmly. "I want to."

She popped out of the side and came around back, to where Aang was huffing and puffing and failing to get the car down.

"Gonna help?" He asked optimistically. Katara decided to play around with him a bit.

"Oh, your grandpa insisted I didn't," she said, walking around to watch him, leaning casually against the side of the car. "I wouldn't _dream_ of disappointing him," she said in a silky voice.

Aang paused, smirking as he muttered under his breath, "_Betty_."

That charged Katara into gear.

"Just cuz your grandpa asked me to doesn't mean I _can't_!"

"Whatever. And don't call him my grandpa."

"Oh... your dad then?" She guessed.

"Nope."

Katara's puzzled look must have prompted him further: "I'm adopted."

_This _was unexpected. Katara lurched from her place on the car. "I'm sorry... I didn't know..."

"No worries." Aang replied without skipping a beat. "You're surprised." He said after glancing up at her. It wasn't a question.

"Well, _yeah_..." She said slowly, beginning to feel useless and pushing on the car herself. "You're a lot like him..."

"Really?" Aang asked, looking over at her. He seemed to take it as a compliment.

"Except the mustache," Katara said cockily, still pushing. "I don't think you can grow one of those yet."

Aang laughed. The pushed the car to the small hill of her driveway. It was here that the car finally sputtered to life. Aang and Katara both raced down the hill after it, him laughing the whole way down. They tied.

"_Gyatso_!" Aang said heartily, entering the left side of the back seats. "You could've at least _waited_ for us!"

"Shame on you," Katara joked, entering on the passenger side. In the back seat. With Aang. Katara felt put on display up front. Aang was just another kid. She couldn't help but feel more respect for the man though, after her newfound knowledge of his and Aang's connection.

"Are you alright back there, Katara? I wouldn't want you uncomfortable." The seats felt perfectly fine. But Katara suspected Aang told Gyatso a little about her, and one of those might've been along the lines of "she doesn't like me."

"I'm good. Thanks though!"

Gyatso didn't worry too much over it as he glanced back at her. Instead, he smiled.

Off they went.

When they arrived at the Ski Lodge, Katara's stomach flopped a little at the sight of the mountain. She couldn't help but notice that her pulse was pounding in her ears. She inhaled, frigid air chilling her throat and not quite seeming to reach her lungs. It came out in a shuddering exhale.

"You ready?" Aang asked, coming up to stand next to her. She whirled around in surprise, before smirking.

"Ready to beat you?" She scoffed, "_Any _day."

Aang simply turned to call out "Bye!" to Gyatso, who was backing out and making his way down the hill. Katara joined him in waving. Aang started walking up to the ski lift, humming something that sounded like "secret". Katara jogged uphill after him.

Strapping on their snowboards, the pair slid down the lane and into the line. Neither one spoke. Aang seemed to get that about her. _Took him long enough, _Katara thought.

As soon as they were on the ski lift however, Aang immediately asked her, "So, what exactly do you expect to get outta me today?"

"_I spoke to soon..._" Katara muttered to herself.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. What'd you say?"

"What _exactly_ do you think I'm gonna teach you today? I'm curious..."

"I don't know... Whatever the heck your "oh-so-precious secret" is, I guess..."

Aang smirked. "Hope I don't disappoint you." He said, grinning.

"Oh," Katara said smoothly, "I seriously _doubt_ that." And suddenly, it wasn't jokes anymore. It was game time again. Aang seemed to notice too, the way her voice had changed, the way her body seemed to stiffen underneath her clothes, the way her cold blue eyes narrowed as she resumed looking off to the side and away from him. He wished that friendlier Katara would come back. _She_ had big, warm, bright blue eyes. But it seemed that _those_ eyes, _that_ Katara, disappeared every time she snowboarded.

Vaguely, Aang wondered _why_...

"Why do you act like this?" Katara faced him, and Aang mentally kicked himself for letting that thought slip out.

Katara turned away again, chin resting on top of her hand, staring out at the early morning sky.

"One time..." she said slowly, "something happened when I was snowboarding..." She was almost murmuring to herself: "That's why."

Aang didn't pressure her for details.

At the top of the trails they both hopped off of the ski lift, sliding down past the intersection and to the top of Claw Trail. Once again, Katara felt as though the icy mountain wind whipping around her couldn't quite satisfy her lungs.

"So..." Katara asked.

Aang simply turned to her. "So what?"

"Well, _you know_! Big, amazing,_ secret_ of yours? What is it?"

"Oh, _that_..."Aang said, chuckling. He seemed to be growing more and more nervous by the second, as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "The secret? Well... uh... um..." Katara's piercing blue eyes hit him, and Aang thought it would be better just to get it over with:

"See those trees down there?" He asked, pointing to them.

"_Yeah_..." Katara said slowly, placing her goggles on and following his index finger.

"Well... see how there's an itty-bitty strip of white in-between? The trees, I mean?"

"_Yes_..." Katara said, growing impatient.

"Well, uh, that's it!" He said.

Katara whipped her head around to him, letting out a low "_What_?"

"All I did was see that bit of white and try to jump right there, so I wouldn't hit the trees..." He said, gulping. "And er, when you were on the track, if you had jumped, you would've hit a tree. So that's it, I guess." He held out his arms wide, as if to add a rousing _Ta-Dah! _

Briefly he saw Katara's eyes switch from confusion to surprise to anger. And barely saw her powerful wind-up. He ducked the punch just in time, and still on his snowboard, decided to make a hasty retreat down the trail.

Katara didn't miss a beat, flipping her board sideways and after him. "_I'm gonna kill you_!" She called out, eyes alight with fury.

Aang didn't seem to doubt the fact, as he crouched down in order to speed up. She mimicked his pose perfectly, keeping in pace with him, and once again Katara felt a strange role-reversal in the situation.

But now she was mad at him, and zipping down the hill at top speed, she didn't care much.

She realized that she was gaining on him— Aang, who seemed to be always one step ahead of her! Smirking in triumph, she made ready to give him a rousing _WHACK_ on his head. All she could focus on was Aang, her body on auto pilot as she nosed down the hill, right on his tail. Her eyes remained firmly on his back and that ridiculous hat of his, not noticing that the slope had leveled out and was now slanting upwards. He was so, _so close_, just barley out of reach—!

And all of a sudden, Katara was no longer on the snowy earth. She was soaring, flying, _hurtling_ through the air. She had gone off of the jump.

She caught a quick glimpse of Aang before he disappeared through the huge, thick green tangle of branches. And as she began to descend, Katara realized that she was soon going to be facing the same problem.

She couldn't help it— Katara let out a horrifying scream that made the hairs on the back of Aang's neck stand upright.

Somehow, a thought ran through her head: _follow Aang, and you're ok._ Trusting it, she instinctively began to re-create every move he made, before he had disappeared entirely from her sight. She was moving down through the branches, which only brushed the sides of her face.

Finally, she saw patches of familiar white below her. She landed in the thick, powdered snow somewhat un-gracefully, not used to all of this extra_ snow_. Her unsteady landing caused her to lurch forward, but she caught herself in time, momentum breaking past the mounds of un-smoothed patches as she zoomed past the various trees, a body disappearing into the pale light ahead of her.

And sliding into the bright daylight, Katara found herself on the regular Claw trail again.

_Alive_.

Katara could've knelt down and _kissed_ the snow if she wasn't so utterly _shocked_.Purposefully slowing herself down, Katara saw out of the corner of her eye, Aang was slowing down as well, and headed her way.

"You _did _it!" He cried, as amazed that she had survived as she was. "You're ok!"

Feeling absolutely numb all over, Katara forgot entirely that seconds before, she was trying to mash him to a pulp. She nodded slowly. "Yeah... yeah I did..."

"That's great!" Aang told her, grinning form ear to ear. When she didn't respond, he added tentatively, "Isn't it...?"

Seeming to regain some sense of feeling, Katara felt her left cheek smarting. She was pretty sure a branch had whipped it on her ride down. As if a wave of exhaustion washed over her, she felt so _very_, _very_ _tired_. It crossed her mind that she _had_ woken up extra-early this morning... Without a pause she stopped and plopped herself down in the snow.

"Erm..." Aang said, stopping next to her. "How 'bout we just take it easy? Go to the Ski Lodge, grab some hot chocolate, call it a day?"

Katara nodded. Sticking out his hand, Aang helped her upright, and they both slid down the rest of the way.

Right before they stopped in front of the lodge, Katara grabbed onto Aang's coat. He turned around, cringing, expecting a whopper of a punch.

She didn't. Instead, she said: "I'm still not done with you yet. You can't get away with teaching me just _that_."

Aang smiled as they reached the Lodge, bending down to unstrap his boots from his board. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Katara took her board off likewise. Heaving it under her arm, she looked up to find Aang holding open the thick wooden door to the Lodge for her.

"_Hotch_ on me!" He said cheekily.

Katara smacked his arm, though not nearly as hard as she could've. "Not a word about this to anyone. Got it?"

Aang nodded, smirking. "It'll be our little secret." And they both entered the lodge.

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Please comment!

So, were you disappointed with the big "secret"? Katara sure was! *is shot*


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